


Shockwaves in the Unifying Force

by CzarZelinsky



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Anakin Skywalker Needs a Hug, Bounty Hunters, F/M, Force Lightning, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Lightsaber Battles, Millennium Falcon - Freeform, New Jedi Order, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, That's Not How The Force Works, The Force, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Wish Fulfillment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:08:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22933048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CzarZelinsky/pseuds/CzarZelinsky
Summary: In the aftermath of the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar, Mara Jade watches as her husband's life ebbs away. Leia and the Solo family have been destroyed in the destruction of Shimrra's citadel due to Nom Anor's treachery. Mara wished Luke could be saved, that their lives could have been lived in peace rather than turmoil. Mara just wished things had been different. (Time Travel, Wishfic)
Relationships: Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 53
Kudos: 213





	1. Preface

**Preface**

As a prelude to the actual 'traveling through time' bit, I needed to add the departure between my story and the book The Unifying Force by James Luceno. These departures will create no small amount of angst and will provide the motive for the "wish" that will be granted by the Force. At the time of the Unifying Force, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade are 48 and 46 years old, respectively.

Given life-spans, medical technology and their natural strength in the force, I concluded that while considered middle-aged, they would still be in their prime. Given that Obi-Wan was able to best a much younger Anakin Skywalker on their duel on Mustafar at the age of 38, I don't think it's much of a stretch to say that Luke and Mara can still be badasses.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own any part of the Star Wars franchise; they are the product of the imagination and efforts of the actors, directors, writers, and authors that created the amazing and expansive universe that is _Star Wars_. Disney, as owners of the franchise, are given full credit for any ideas or characters borrowed.

 **Rating:** T+ - Graphic descriptions of violence and injuries and occasional adult language. I do not currently have any "racy" scenes planned for either Luke/Mara or Anakin/Padmé but should they occur, I do not expect them to be either lengthy or explicit. Explicit language will occur, but it will be fairly tame and relatively sparse.

 **Author Note:** I am using an author's prerogative and am going to change a fundamental facet of the New Jedi Order era: I was somewhat conflicted about the presence of Ben Skywalker. I thought adding him to the journey as a toddler wouldn't really fit in and would simply add too much complexity, but I believed simply killing him off was a little much to pile on top of the initial angst. So, *poof!* There neither is nor has there ever been a child of Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker.

 **Author Note #2:** The title of this story is both a nod to the book by James Luceno as well as the Jedi philosophy regarding _the Unifying Force_ , whose followers viewed the Force with more focus on events in the future and past and the distinction of the Light and Dark sides of the Force as simply natural parts of a single cosmic field of energy. Jedi were encouraged to study the _Living Force_ instead, whose focus was on the present moment, with clear distinctions between the Dark and the Light.

 **Author Note #3:** It is inevitable that I will make mistakes regarding the Prequel and Legends' canon, timeline, or characters. Feel free to let me know if or when you catch these mistakes. I apologize in advance to any fans of the Solo family. Though I have already begun to plan out the course of the story, I am still unsure about how I'd like it to end, though I do wish it to have a happy or happy-ish ending.

 **Author Notes #4:** Just in case there's some confusion about the who, what, when, where, and whys: here's a helpful guide that should assist in differentiating the events of the novel and the premise of the story.

* * *

**Dramatis Personæ**

**Obi-Wan** **Kenobi** : Jedi Master of the Jedi Order, serving member of the Jedi Council. Anakin Skywalker's former master - 38 Years Old  
**Padmé Naberrie** _(Padmé Amidala)_ : Senator of Naboo, former Queen of Naboo, secretly married to Anakin Skywalker following the Battle of Geonosis - 28 Years Old  
**Sheev Palpatine** (Darth Sidious): Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, former Senator of Naboo, secretly Sith Lord known as Darth Sidious, becomes Emperor of the Galactic Empire in pre-time ravel universe - 84 Years Old  
**Anakin Skywalker** : Jedi Knight of the Jedi Order, the 'Chosen One,' secretly married to Padmé Naberrie immediately following the Battle of Geonosis, becomes apparentice to Darth Sidious and Dark Lord of the Sith in pre-time travel universe - 23 Years Old  
**Luke Skywalker:** Grandmaster of the New Jedi Order, son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Naberrie - 48 Years Old  
**Mara Jade Skywalker:** Jedi Master, wife of Luke Skywalker, formerly the Emperor's Hand (Serving Emperor Palpatine) - 46 Years Old  
**Yoda:** Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, serving member of the Jedi Council. Luke Skywalker's second master in pre-time travel universe. Unknown Species - 877 Years Old

**Minor Characters**

**[This will also include important characters that are largely absent with mostly references pertaining to them]**

**Kit Fisto:** Nautoloan Jedi Master of the Jedi Order, serving member of the Jedi Council - Unknown Age  
**Serra Keto:** Jedi Knight of the Jedi Order, highly regarded duelist - Unknown Age  
**Anakin Solo:** Son of Leia and Han Solo, Jedi Knight, died on Myrkr at 16 Years Old (2 years before Battle of Yuuzhan'tar)  
**Han Solo** : Former General of the New Republic, former smuggler, husband of Leia Organa, father of Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin - 58 Years Old  
**Jacen Solo:** Son of Leia and Han Solo, Jedi Knight, captured and trained/tortured by Vergere under the Yuuzhan Vong - 20 Years Old  
**Jaina Solo:** Daughter of Leia and Han Solo, Jedi Knight - 20 Years Old  
**Leia Organa-Solo** : Jedi Knight of the New Jedi Order, daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Naberrie - 48 Years Old  
**Vergere** : Fosh Jedi Knight of the Jedi Order, present on Zonama Sekot when first attacked by the Far Outsiders (Yuuzhan Vong), traveled with them and became a valued prisoner/guest. Tortured/Trained Jacen and taught him advanced techniques to modify body chemistry and toxins with the Force. Former Sith who turned back to the Light to save Jacen.  
**Mace Windu:** Jedi Master of the Jedi Order, serving member of the Jedi Council, master duelist - Approximately 55 Years Old

**#**

There will be many other characters introduced and referenced, but I'll try to give them enough background information so you don't get lost. These were the characters I thought should be immediately laid out and explained.

* * *

**Battle of Yuuzhan'tar (29 ABY) Timeline**

**Canon** :

Jacen and Luke battle Shimrra while Jaina confronts Onimi. Shimrra poisons Luke with amphistaff. Luke kills Shimrra. Luke instructs Jacen to go to Jaina before healing him.

Led by Nom Anor, Han, Leia, Mara, Tahiri, and Kenth find Luke and Shimrra's body. Mara and Tahiri take Luke to safety. Kenth remains to inform the New Republic that Shimrra had been killed and eventually goes with Mara and Tahiri to the Falcon.

Nom Anor, Han, and Leia find Jacen and Jaina with Onimi. They witness Jacen's victory over Onimi.

Nom Anor takes Solo family to an escape pod, but is misdirecting them, taking them to a waste disposal system.

Hoping to bring the Jedi to their deaths, without care for his own survival, in the collapsing Citadel, Nom Anor distracts Jacen with a poisonous vapor and attempts to activate an implant in a false finger to render the Jedi unconscious. Leia senses the attack and cuts off his arm, preventing the gas' release.

The Solo family find an escape pod and is retrieved by Mara (Kenth, Tahiri and several others as well) in the _Falcon._

Jacen heals Luke with his and Mara's tears with the methods taught to him by Vergere.

**Shockwaves in the Unifying Force:**

**-SPOILERS-**

_Events occur in the same order until Nom Anor's attempt to kill the Solos._

Jacen, tired from his exertion from using the Force in his battle with Omini, isn't quite as aware of their environment or of Nom Anor. Nom Anor's attack disables him.

Already distracted by her brother's pain and dwindling Force signature, Leia is further impeded by Jacen's collapse. Therefore, she fails to sense Nom Anor's last act of treachery and is unable to prevent his actions.

The attack is in the form of a knock-out gas being released, rendering all the family but Leia unconscious as the Citadel begins to self-destruct.

Nom Anor's actions were ultimately successful in that their recovery from the gas is enough of a delay that they are unable to escape the destruction of the Citadel.

Escaping Yuuzhan'tar to the safety of the Republic's fleet, Mara deposits Kenth Hamner, Captain Page, the Solo's Noghri bodyguards (Cakhmaim and Meewalh), along with R2-D2 and C-3PO. Knowing there is no cure for Luke, and wanting to be with him and the feeling of family and home that only the _Falcon_ will provide, Mara leaves with Luke, now in a force trance but still dying, and plots a random hyperspace jump.

Luke is the last of his bloodline. The Solo family is, in its entirety, destroyed. Lacking Jacen's knowledge and skill in biological and chemical manipulation through the Force, Mara is unable to save Luke with her tears. Mara flies the _Millennium Falcon_ away, as her husband slowly fades.

This is my first fanfiction story and I hope to provide a story that will be both entertaining and of good quality. My writing ability is questionable, but I'm trying my best. Be gentle.


	2. Shockwaves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: [Bold text in brackets indicates conversation held via Force bonds or simply through the Force]

_**"The Unifying Force bind the stars and planets in space and time. Through this Force, a Jedi can sense the past and future."  
**\- **Sabla-Mandibu, Jedi Master  
**_

**_###_ **

" _The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side."  
__\- Yoda_

**#**

**Yuuzhan'tar Orbit  
29 ABY**

Mara Jade Skywalker slowly...methodically released the docking clamps and piloted the _Millennium Falcon_ away from Admiral Kre'fey's flagship, the _Ralroost_. Slow and methodical. Slowly and methodically enough that had anyone been watching her, they would have seen a woman slowly breaking and that her careful piloting was as much for the _Falcon_ 's sake as it was for her own.

Fleeing the destruction of Shimrra's Citadel on Yuuzhan'tar, Mara had met with the _Ralroost_ to drop off the other passengers and survivors. Tahiri and Kenth were faring little better in their emotional turmoil than she, but she still refused their offer to find solace in their presence. She had changed profoundly in so many ways since she first met Luke, but she still had no desire to share her emotions so freely. Captain Page, those two _kriffing_ droids the Farmboy still insisted on keeping around, the Noghri bodyguards that helped with the Solo family, and everyone else had also disembarked upon her insistence. Her insistence and perhaps a not so subtle hand that caressed her lightsaber hilt in a somewhat disturbing manner.

 _The Solos_.

It hurt even to think about them. A family she had hated and despised, the enemies of her fallen master. A family whom she had come to respect and eventually admire as she came to know the truth of her past. And after some time and the many arguments and adventures she shared with a certain bashful somehow-still-naive Farmboy, a family that she would call her own. A family that no longer existed. She felt guilty in thinking that Luke might be better off in his force trance, unaware of the pain that would await him were he to open those blue eyes again and feel the loss of his twin sister, Han, and his niece and nephew.

Only two people were left on the _Falcon_ now. Soon, there would only be one. Glancing over to the side, Mara watched her husband with trepidation and felt utter helplessness as she gazed at him. Luke's eyes were closed and his breaths were irregular and shallow. Every minute, those breaths became just a little more irregular and just a little more shallow. It seemed impossible that it should end like this, but Luke had allowed himself to be struck by Shimrra in their duel in order to give himself the opportunity to land the fatal blow upon Shimrra. The poison from the amphistaff now burned in Luke's veins, despite all attempts of cure it.

Luke Skywalker was dying.

**###**

_While Nom Anor led Leia and the rest of the Solo family through the Citadel that was self-destructing, Leia couldn't stop her constant monitoring of Luke's presence. It was a presence filled with pain whose incandescent light shone in the Force was slowly dimming. Leia felt tears prickle her eyes as she understood the magnitude of Luke's plight and only felt marginally better when Han's hand squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. Walking ahead of her, Jacen strode forward at Anor's side; his exhaustion following his duel with Onimi was palpable and lent a weight that hung around his shoulders. As she watched her son, Jacen stirred suddenly and glanced sharply at Nom Anor._

_"Anor, what is this? I know this is the waste disposal system; there are no escape pods here!" Jacen gestured angrily at his surroundings and when he turned around to glare at Nom Anor, he simply wasn't prepared, even with the warning given through the Force, for the faceful of poisonous gas that exploded from Nom Anor's eye implant. Jacen cried out in pain and panic and worked desperately to filter the chemicals from his body using Vergere's teachings, but he was just_ so damn tired _._ I have to do this, _he thought panic-stricken, but even as his body began to slowly adapt to the poison and recover, blackness was already crowding his vision and his knees were already collapsing. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was his mother's panic stricken face._

**#**

_"Jacen!" Leia cried out, seeing her son wounded and lying still on the ground. She rushed forward to him but quickly wheeled around to face Nom Anor. But she had already delayed far too long and even as she cleaved Nom Anor's head from his body, a gas released from another implant, this time in one of his fingers, issued forth. The rest of the Solo family was still reacting to the initial commotion and the second implant had gone unnoticed by all but Leia. Leia felt her already weakened and fatigued daughter and her exhausted husband collapse, quickly joining Jacen in his unresponsive state._

_Just a few blinks of the eye later, and Leia began to feel the effects of the toxic vapors take root within her. Unable to filter out the toxins and harmful chemicals like Jacen or Vergere, she was helpless in the face of the unexpected assault. Only her somewhat less exhausted state and her sheer strength in the Force had allowed her to stay aware for this long._

Or perhaps it is the will of the Force, _she thought. Even if only for a few more moments, Leia was aware, and even as she felt the ground trembling and saw the world turn blurry, she had presence of mind enough to determine the last moments of her life._

_Tears prickled her eyes as she thought of all the triumph that she, Han, and her long-lost brother Luke had enjoyed after the Emperor's demise. So much struggle, pain, and blood until the Alliance finally managed to reap the results of their efforts. The victory at the Battle of Endor helped usher in a new government and brought about the return of the Jedi. But conflict and incessant fighting had hounded the fledgling New Republic and the Jedi Order until the horror of the Yuuzhan Vong came and cast a shadow as dark as the Empire's upon the galaxy once again._

_Falling to her knees, Leia felt felt the ground tremble even more violently; the sound of thunder loomed in the distance but seemed to be nearing quickly. Leia spotted Jacen stirring already, but it was still too late. Soon, the last of the Skywalker bloodline would perish; her entire family was going to die here, she realized as she pitched sideways onto the ground. Only her sister-in-law would remain as proof of their lives, their victories, their tragedies, and their love. But Mara would live, she would be okay._

Perhaps okay was stretching it, _Leia thought, a wry smile attempting to dance upon her lips._ _She would survive, she would live, and hopefully she would know happiness again. Leia wished desperately that her brother would live. Not just for her sake, or for Mara's, but for his own as well._

 _"_ I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you!"

 _Though fading_ , _Leia still had enough strength to muster a snort and a strangled laugh remembering that wide-eyed, naive farmboy who was ready to take on the Empire to rescue her, the beautiful helpless princess. The laugh stopped before it hardly began as she saw her other rescuer, her best friend, her husband, Han. He was so still on the ground and it was wrong, Han was a man of action and as brash as any Corellian and it was just so wrong that he should face death unawares._

_Jacen was still struggling to wake, but they were out of time. The thunderous booms in the background now sounded like they were just on the other side of the door and the floor was buckling and trembling violently. Closing her eyes in both concentration and the exhaustion fueled by the events of the day and Nom Anor's final treachery, Leia reached out into the Force._

**_[_ ** _**Mara. I'm not going to be making it and I don't have much time before I'm knocked out. My family was knocked out by that sleemo Anor and Jacen is the only one who is remotely close to waking.]** _

_Leia swallowed as her cheeks became wet with tears' her mouth felt fuzzy and she was feeling considerably more light-headed._ I have to do this, just a little more time _, she thought desperately._ _ **[I love you sister, and we**_ **will** _ **see each other again one day. Be good and kiss Luke goodbye for me. I wish things had been different for all of us, but Mara, understand that meeting and coming to know you has been one of the greatest adventures I've ever had, even including that farce of a rescue on the first Death Star by our two poor husbands. I know Luke is dying, but please have faith, please be happy. I'm sorry to go 'all Jedi on you,' but know this: we will always be with you. Always.]**_

 _Letting go of the thread that linked her with her sister-in-law, Leia felt herself topple onto the hard ground, hearing Jacen make a small questioning sound. Leia felt tears finally wet her cheeks, wishing so hard that things hadn't gone this way. Wishing so hard that her brother could have felt the joy of being a father and that he could have had the family he had yearned for. Wishing so hard that the galaxy didn't go straight to the Corellian Hells after they had accomplished the impossible in triumphing over the Emperor and his Empire. She whispered a final '_ I love you,' _to her family as the roar of explosions became deafening and the ground shook. She let go of her attempts to stay aware as a loud thunderous burst of noise and light flooded the chamber._

_And then oblivion._

**_###_ **

Leia's final words through the Force had shaken Mara badly. The _Falcon_ had been occupied with others who had been involved in the battle in one capacity or another. Hamner, Tahiri, Page and even those Sithspawn abominations that Luke called his droids. While Luke might not have _heard_ Leia, her light, and the light of her children, being snuffed out in the Force had drawn a small keening sound from Luke before he sank back into his trance.

So much death. So much destruction. The Jedi Order that Luke had built from the foundation up numbered less than half of its' former status. The Yuuzhan Vong weren't the only ones responsible for the fall of so many Jedi either. No, it was the very people whom they had dedicated their lives to protecting who had turned on them in their desperation to save themselves. The desperation had led to the Jedi fighting independently far too often, and being targeted by civilian populations to be gifted to the Vong. But the Jedi had survived, Luke's Order had survived. But now, _Luke_ was dying.

Luke, her Farmboy, The Grand Master of the Jedi Order, the one who shot the Death Star. The one who saw to the redemption of Anakin Skywalker, and subsequently, the Emperor's destruction. The one who had spent his life serving others, helping others, and saving others. But rarely would he help himself and be selfish every now and then. Always the Jedi.

Luke.

Her naive, blue-eyed, infuriating farmboy whom she loved so fiercely, when she didn't want to kill him for getting himself into so much trouble, that is.

Luke had always wanted children, but war, conflict after conflict, and then the horror of the Yuuzhan Vong had convinced Mara that it would be better to wait. Luke disagreed of course, but he wouldn't pressure her into motherhood during such times. She wished she had made a different choice because once Luke died, there would be nothing of him left in the world but the material items which were only soft echoes of him.

A sob escaped her. Luke's pallor was growing worse and without Jacen or Vergere's talents, not even the bacta tank which seemed to have his name tacked onto it would be able to save him. When the _Falcon_ had docked with the _Ralroost_ , Mara had waited as the other passengers disembarked, most of them willing to leave her alone as she watched over Luke. Tahiri and Kenth Hamner had made overtures about inviting her to go with them, to seek solace among friends, but she had turned them down. All she wanted was Luke.

She had made Hamner take C-3PO and R2-D2, despite the violent beeping and protesting sounds that the latter had made. She made sure her face turned away to hide new tears and a small unwilling smile at the droid who her husband loved as dearly as any friend. It was selfish, but she wanted Luke all to herself for the time he had left. No one disagreed with her right to fly the _Falcon_ , who would when the rest of her family had perished in the final battle against the Vong.

**#**

After the last of the visitors had left the _Falcon_ , Mara detached from the _Ralroost_ and piloted the _Falcon_ away from the debris over Yuuzhan'tar, away from the multitudes of star cruisers and snubfighters. Slowly, the _Falcon_ passed the planet that was once Coruscant, the changes caused by the vongforming only too clear. The _Falcon_ was quiet now, empty save for the two, soon-to-be one passengers. Mara piloted a course without really caring where they ended up. A random jump into hyperspace was not something a person would typically walk away from unless they had one kriffing hell of a lucky streak.

She supposed that she was doing the exact opposite of what Luke or Leia would have wanted , but everything was just so _wrong_. Mara's shoulders hunched. _Kriff it,_ she thought, _I've always been contrary, wouldn't want to stop now._

Luke's breathing was so shallow and more than a little sharp and after Mara finished readying the _Falcon_ she went ahead and curled up next to Luke in the seat. It should have been uncomfortable but Luke's presence, even diminished, enveloped her in its strength and light. She burrowed into Luke's body after giving him a heartfelt kiss on the lips. _One last right. We sure made a splash, eh Farmboy? I'll see those blue eyes of yours soon._

Eyes closed and body entwined with Luke's, Mara casually waved a hand at the console to begin the jump into lightspeed. _Oh Luke. I wish things were different. I wish that I had agreed to have your child, Luke. You would have been such a spectacular father. I wish that the kriffing galaxy hadn't been caught with its pants down when the Vong came to say hello,_ Mara thought sadly.

"I love you Luke. I wish…oh kriff it!"

The lever pressed down and there was shudder that seemed to run through the ship before everything seemed to jolt. Mara felt a surge in the force, she couldn't understand its source or the intent behind it, but she felt nothing of the Dark Side. The Force seemed to envelop the _Falcon_ just as Luke's presence often enveloped hers. The surge grew until it was almost painful in its intensity.

And then she felt nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are, the first chapter!
> 
> Author's Note: I was unsure about a couple elements that I added into the story: namely, Mara's actions at the end of the chapter. Her random jump into hyperspace could be ruled as suicide but I always figured that if Mara wanted to off herself, she wouldn't go to that much trouble and would instead find the nearest available blaster or lightsaber.
> 
> I think Mara is more than a little traumatized by everything. The death of the entire Solo family hit her hard not to mention seeing and feeling Luke drain right in front of her eyes. I think she wants to be with him but is really trying to avoid the idea that Luke was truly dying and that instead, they'd go away for a little while. I've never, ever, felt Mara was a weak character, and I apologize if that was the image I portrayed.
> 
> Author's Note #2: I like Ben Skywalker, but I felt adding him to the story would make the plot just too complicated when the time travel begins to kick in. Instead, I added the idea as a new abstract wish or hope for Mara to supplement Luke's already acknowledged desire for a family. We'll see R2-D2 and C-3PO again obviously, but bringing your own future pair seemed, again, just to add too much unneeded complexity.
> 
> I want feedback! I would especially like to know of consistency errors or major spelling/grammatical issues.


	3. The Will of the Force

" _The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together."  
_ _\- Obi-Wan Kenobi_

**#**

_The Force was not a person, creature, or being of any sort; there was no sentient entity that was the Force or controlled and owned it. But the energy field that was the Force had eddies and currents that had patterns in the way it moved and flowed. Disruptions could sometimes shift those currents, but never had there been such a shockwave that was the Yuuzhan Vong. A species devoid of the Force, something that was anathema to the galaxy, had burned worlds and destroyed billions of lives in their crusade. Life requires the presence of the Force to exist, but life, in turn, strengthens the Force. So much damage had been wrought that the Force itself felt less than it once was._

_The Jedi, the ones who called themselves servants or students of the Force, those who were attuned to its Will and heard its whispers, often served to smooth over or avert such disruptions. The rebirth of the Jedi, as monumental as it had been, still hadn't been enough to halt the implacable advance of the Yuuzhan Vong or to repair the damage that had been dealt under Darth Sidious' reign. The conflict with the Yuuzhan Vong had dragged on for years until catastrophic damage had been inflicted upon the already damaged galaxy, the Jedi, and the Force itself. Damage so catastrophic, that the effects of so many lost lives and ruined planets seemed to violently twist those eddies and currents in the Force. Now with only half of their original number, the new Jedi Order faced the insurmountable task of rebuilding a shattered galaxy._

_It was too much._

_The Force had heard the whispers, the pleas of the daughter of its Chosen One. It had heard the sorrow and wishes of one bonded to the other child of the Chosen. The Force needed to reassert itself, needed to regrow and prevent such a nightmare from occurring again. The wishes were felt, their pleas weighed and considered. There was such a way to accommodate their fervent desires, though there was no guarantee of success. Events could have an even dimmer outcome were things to go awry._

_But…_

_Perhaps it was possible, even if the girl child had already become one with the Force, the boy still lived and his bonded with him. He could be saved; the desire to create a better future could be met with a chance to create a better past. The events of the past had created a horrifying future, one that only became increasingly terrifying even after the demise of the Sith Lords that had dominated the galaxy for decades. Perhaps with the introduction of the adult son, the Chosen One would choose to remain in the Light when things came to a precipice. Perhaps Luke, who even at that time was growing along with his sister in the womb of Anakin's beloved, would avert a future where the Chosen One had fallen to such despair and anger._

_Perhaps this act would right the many wrongs that had ripped the galaxy apart. Perhaps if the Chosen One would choose differently, the inevitable coming of the Yuuzhan Vong would be met with a galaxy intact and better prepared. Perhaps all the death and worlds lost would be saved._

_Perhaps...perhaps...perhaps._

_Perhaps not. But, perhaps so…_

_The Jedi had held faith in the Force for millennia, even when the galaxy had turned on them. The Force would rely on its faith in the Jedi and in the son of the Chosen One, who had been able to salvage what was left of the Jedi and secure the continued existence of the galaxy in the face of the Vong, as terrible as it was. The Force, if it could be said to have pride, would have felt such where Luke was concerned. His father was to have been its champion, but Luke..._

_The eddies and currents of the Force left undamaged shifted and surged forth. An energy rose up throughout the galaxy until all things were encompassed within its energy. It should have been impossible, but the devotion and faith Luke placed in the Force was to be returned in spades. The Will of the Force was that Luke should live and to be given the chance to change the future into something brighter._

_The confusion of the bonded female was felt clearly; she was aware enough to know something in the Force was changing on a fundamental level, but had no way to understand exactly what_ had _changed. The Chosen One was dead, the daughter of the Chosen One was dead, and the son of the Chosen One approaches his end even now. There must be balance, and there has been no balance for far too long. The daughter had been heard, and the son's mate had been heard. They were heard, and the wish that was heard would be granted; the son would live and balance would be restored._

_A whisper rose from the deeps within the Force, a whisper that only Mara heard. A whisper whose meaning rose from feelings and sensations rather than the words that Mara intuited. The whisper, though simple, would shake the boundaries of reality._

_**[Through the Force, all things are possible...]** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make sure that the Force didn't come out looking like a sentient entity. I like the idea that the Will of the Force is really just the Force trying to correct imbalances (however you want to define that) and that the Jedi are like antibodies trying to fix them. As far as disturbances go, I think that the Yuuzhan Vong would rank right at the top. The idea that the Will of the Force is the attempt to fix the imbalances or disturbances, without the Jedi, I propose that the Force would simply find a different way to see the same result.
> 
> The bottom line is this: its Star Wars, its time travel, it's not going to be perfect or scientifically correct. But I tried to provide at least a semi-plausible idea to drive the story.
> 
> Alright folks, after this, the chapters will probably be a little slower in coming. I'm hoping one a week, but it depends on my work schedule and my inspiration. Keep reading!


	4. Transition

" _Through the Force, things you will see. Other places. The future…the past. Old friends long gone."  
_ _\- Yoda_

**#**

There was a roaring sound. The world seemed to be shaking so violently that it must surely have ripped itself apart. The surge of energy that had coursed through the _Falcon_ , the Force, and into what seemed to be the very core of her being, had finally dissipated. Only the lingering tingles in her body and in the Force remained as proof that whatever had transpired had been something that transcended the physical world.

Mara slowly blinked her eyes open and uncurled herself from her position around Luke. Adrenaline spiked within her when she saw the wrecks of ships orbiting a planet that was looming closer and closer. Plumes of smoke and fire rose from the husks of warships and there were massive clouds of debris everywhere. There was visible damage on the planet surface, visible even from her vantage point, and the remains of orbital platforms and warships falling into the planet's gravity well proved to be responsible for most of the surface's scars. Such debris falling into the atmosphere, even broken up in reentry, could cause massive damage through the simple but devastating effects of gravity. Looking closer at the planet that was looming uncomfortably close, Mara felt her entire body shudder as a jolt of recognition spiked in her.

_How are we still at Yuuzhan'tar? We jumped into hyperspace. What the kriff happened?_

Mara had finally regained her wits and realized that the roaring sound and the tremors which had woken her were actually the effects of the _Millennium_ _Falcon_ 's accelerating and steep descent into Yuuzhan'tar's atmosphere. Mara scrambled into the pilot's seat and began working feverishly at the control panel, trying desperately to control the _Falcon_ 's descent. In the process, she got a very good, very close view of Yuuzhan'tar.

_No, not Yuuzhan'tar_ , she realized. Looking closer, the wrecks she saw were neither anything like the unique, biologically-based Yuuzhan Vong vessels, nor did she see anything remotely looking like the eclectic New Republic fleet of Hapan, Chiss, and the large Mon Calimari star cruisers that were the fleet's mainstay. She didn't even see much in the way of the old Empire-era ships, certainly none of the large bleached-bone colored Star Destroyers. Instead, she saw warships that were found more often in museums, ships like the Clone Wars era Acclamator and Venator-class Star Destroyers along with some of the CIS capital ships, but she hadn't seen such craft in decades, and certainly not as participants in a battle.

"Sithspawn! Where are we?" she swore. The planet closely resembled the Coruscant of her youth, a bustling ecumenopolis with four moons. Few planets could ever be easily confused with _that_ Coruscant. But Coruscant _, no, not Coruscant...Yuuzhan'tar_ , she reminded herself bitterly, now only had two moons and the ecumenopolis was now almost as much Vongformed jungle as it was concrete jungle.

"Where in the Corellian hells are we?" Mara exclaimed.

"Y…Y…Yoda!" Luke called out hoarsely from beside her before he fell silent once again.

"What? Luke?" Mara tried to get him to speak again, but he remained quiet and had returned to his healing trance. Feeling his presence in the Force, Mara realized that the poison's progress seemed to have slowed down. Reaching deeper into the Force and expanding her awareness, Mara was shocked at how much the Light Side seemed to fill her senses.

_Everywhere, the entire galaxy,_ she realized. She could _feel_ the pinpricks that often proved themselves to be especially sensitive or trained Force users from all across the galaxy. But the planet loomed in the _Falcon_ 's viewport was a focal point, a nexus where the Light seemed to converge into a brilliant torch that shone so brightly.

"What did you get me into this time, Farmboy?" she demanded.

Mara saw a swath of destruction on the surface below that looked like it might have been caused by a ship in similar circumstances also trying to make a survivable landing. Seeing the relatively open area that lay at the end of the trail of debris, she worked to stabilize and slow the _Falcon_ down as much as possible. She could hear the groans of the hull that were testament to the strain the ship was under as it attempted to fly under her guidance.

"Come on, come on. This garbage scow has made it through plenty worse than this. You hear me baby, hold together!" Mara begged the _Falcon_. _Han would be pleased, even I am treating the Falcon like a sentient life-form now_ , she thought sourly.

As the _Falcon_ cut through Coruscant's sky in the same uncomfortably steep descent, the makeshift landing strip shifted into sharper focus on the viewport. Mara saw what looked like the extravagant 500 Republica building in the nearby skyline. _It can't be, it was destroyed!_ Mara was concentrating hard on the landing, but her trained mind was still gathering details and processing them as fast as possible. Elsewhere, she saw the Old Republic's Senate Building and-

Her mind ground to a half and her body jerked even knowing the care she had to take in setting the _Falcon_ down without getting Luke and herself killed. But she couldn't help it. What she saw was impossible.

_Impossible._

"Sithspawn!" Mara couldn't help but curse loudly because, in the distance, she saw the very much intact and very undefiled Jedi Temple as it had stood before her former master came into the height of his power. Her mind still caught in endless loops of confusion, she retained just enough presence of mind to adjust the landing into a relatively controlled crash. The impact was enough to pitch her violently forward, but she was able to keep both Luke and herself from becoming one with the bulkhead by stabilizing their bodies' position through simple nudges of the Force.

As the _Falcon_ skid to a halt not too far from a much larger smoking vessel that looked like it had gone through a very similar trip. _H_ _alf of a star cruiser can't be easy to fly, let alone land_ , she thought, amused.

Looking out the viewport, she spied a group of individuals approach the _Falcon_. Individuals which were comprised of a number of brown-robed figures and what she guessed were security and support personnel. One of those brown-robed individuals walked somewhat more sedately behind the rest. He was short, perhaps only a little more than half a meter. He was green. He walked with a gimer stick and had a somewhat wild growth of white hair crowning his head. Walking at his side was a much taller, dark-skinned, and grumpier looking human. She recognized them from the descriptions the Emperor had given when he indulged in boasting of his victory and denouncing their weaknesses, and also from the experiences Luke had during his training.

_Luke._

Mara slowly turned her head to glare at her still unconscious husband. She felt that she had the right to be confused and in turn, angry at him. The poison from the amphistaff was still within him and still progressing, but the sheer power that the Force that used to deliver them here, along with the already staggering presence of the Light that existed in their new paradigm, seemed to have slowed the poison's progress substantially. While he wasn't cured, Luke didn't seem to be struggling quite as hard just to breathe while in his trance.

"Farmboy, just what did you do?" she continued to glare daggers at her husband. Being at least relatively safe from the poison, he was therefore fair game as target to lay blame on and express her ire. And she felt absolutely no shame in exercising that prerogative.

The contingent of personnel and accompanying Jedi came closer. Apparently, somehow, based on the local architecture, which _included_ iconic structures destroyed half a century ago and a flora and fauna that managed to include long-dead Jedi. With this information and remembering the very intact _four_ moons above, Mara really only had one extremely baffling supposition to offer: they were neither _where_ they were supposed to be, nor _when,_ for the planet they were on was most certainly Coruscant.

Mara barely resisted the urge to bang her head against the nearest wall. "Luke," she finally managed to say to the empty air, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

* * *

**Coruscant  
** **19 BBY, 3 years after First Battle of Geonosis**

Mara thought quickly. She had been trained by the Emperor to be an assassin and spy; her various skills and talents had never diminished in the years following his death, either of his deaths. Knowing she had little time, she evaluated the facts quickly. As impossible as it was, she and Luke were on the Coruscant of the old Republic and, by the looks of things, smack dab in the middle of the Clone Wars. An unidentifiable whisper flowed into her awareness and the overwhelming strength of it threatened to drown everything else out.

**[Through the Force, all things are possible...]**

The whisper had come from no person or being and Mara just _knew,_ _knew_ , in her heart that the whisper was one that spoke complete truth. Whatever was happening was a product of the Force and their arrival or transportation here was a manifestation of its Will. They were meant to be here, at this point where all things came to a head and where the downfall of the galaxy began as the realized product of a powerful madman's desire for galactic power. They, she and Luke, were here to change things and to prepare the Republic for the threat so close to home as well as the extragalactic threat that, even now, loomed ever closer.

A list of complications laid themselves out in her mind for analysis and consideration. Making a false step could have deadly consequences, she and Luke would have to take great care.

1) Luke

While Luke was stable-ish, the poison was not gone and it was still advancing through his system, albeit at a much slower rate. He needed help. Luckily, there now appeared to be a whole Temple full of Jedi from the old Republic on their doorstep that might know a thing or two about healing and the Force.

2) The Jedi

Both Luke and she were covered in blood and looked like they had blasted their way out of a sarlacc. Luke was in a Force induced trance and she knew their presence, even amid all the chaos of the recent battle and the number of other Jedi that were around, was strong enough that it would be identified as unique and would be felt from a distance. It was too late to conceal themselves and doing so now would only create further suspicion. And of course, two strange Force users showing up with their own lightsab-

3) The Farmboy's Daddy

_Kriff me_ , Mara swore internally. She still wore Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber, the one Luke had gifted to her. The lightsaber would be fairly easy to identify and there was no time or place for her to hide or even dispose of it.

_Well, this will be...awkward_ , Mara thought without much humor. _How in the Corellian hells will we deal with a pre-Darth Anakin not to mention-_

Mara closed her eyes as her body locked up and a shudder ran through her. She felt her stomach try to jump out of her throat as an icy needle of realization jabbed into her skull. Her old master.

4) Palpatine

Palpatine was alive and they were at the final moments of the Republic and the Jedi Order. She felt a nudge from the Force that seemed to prod her into continuing that line of thought, On the eve of his rise to power and with the goals of preserving the Republic and the Jedi Order in mind...yes, stopping Palpatine and the Jedi Purge was an obvious must-do.

_Palpatine._

Mara knew how powerful he was, Luke knew how powerful he was; no one else here on this planet did. The Jedi were completely unprepared for the power that Palpatine wielded. Warning would help things, but still might not enough to prevent catastrophe. Luke's father, who had been had descended into the Dark Side around this time, would also be instrumental in seeing to the Jedi's destruction. Anakin would have to be stopped, or knowing Luke, he would have to be saved before damning himself to his fate as a rage and despairing wretch of a man.

Another nudge seemed to indicate that the Force agreed that things would be better served with Anakin alive and on the side of the Light. _Okay, so premature assassination isn't the correct solution on that particular problem._ Mara considered all the information and sensations that were being almost violently shoved into her face or awareness by the Force. There was an awful lot to accomplish without much time to spare. How could they do all this in the first place, and where would they even start?

She glanced over at the still form of her husband. "So this is why we're here, Farmboy, we get to make things right."

Mara suddenly recalled Luke's hoarse cry on the _Falcon_ earlier during their landing.

5) Yoda

Mara had never met the little green troll whom Luke had revered so much, had never gained the insight and experience that helped make Luke the consummate Jedi Master. She knew that the smile in Luke's eyes that appeared every time he scolded his flailing students that they must "Do. Or do not. There is no try," was a fondly remembered lesson he had learned in his training with Yoda. Mara knew from her own studies as the Emperor's Hand that Palpatine had feared an early invention, confrontation, or discovery by Yoda and the Jedi Council. If there was a Jedi that could match him based purely on the strength of their connection to the Force, it would be Yoda.

Before his disastrous duel on Mustafar, Anakin was reputed to have been the strongest Force user in the Galaxy, moreso than Yoda or even Palpatine, but his lack of self-discipline had held him back. While Anakin might have been the strongest of all Jedi, without the typical inner calm of a Jedi, he was unstable and fundamentally dangerous. _The Jedi must have sensed the danger he could pose, and their distrust would have been so easy for Palpatine to use_. She mused on those tidbits that she had learned so many years ago and considered, _changing that the Jedi's distrust of Anakin, or helping Anakin find that desperately needed balance...perhaps that alone would be all that is required to see to the survival of the Jedi and the Republic._

Yoda and Anakin.

They would be the deciding factors, she decided, the linchpins that would save or doom the galaxy depending on her and Luke's efforts. They would have to know the truth about their identities and the future that might lay ahead of them. Dangerous though it might be to reveal such fantastic and horrifying information, holding back could be even more costly when Palpatine's mastery of manipulation could come to bear at any time.

The Jedi and a group of Republic soldiers had managed to lever the gangway of the _Falcon_ open and were cautiously entering the ship. Mara closed her eyes, and put one of her hands around Luke's waist and entered a trance of her own to help heal her own minor injuries and to give her more time to feel out this new, old, universe that now surrounded her.

* * *

Hearing of Dooku's death at the hands of Anakin Skywalker had stirred bittersweet emotions as memories of a friend whose fall to the Dark Side flashed through Mace Windu's mind. Dooku had caused so much strife and had taken so many lives, even those of others he called friends, but Mace still remembered the Dooku from years ago when no taint of the Dark enshrouded him. Mace Windu knew that with Dooku's death, the Separatists would be greatly weakened and that the end of this terrible war might finally be on the horizon, but his death still weighed heavily upon his soul.

Following the rescue of the Chancellor, he and several other of the senior Jedi on Coruscant went out to meet them. After greeting Kenobi, Skywalker, and Chancellor Palpatine, the group had made their way over to a waiting transport. Only a short time later, as the transport neared the Senate building, Mace Windu felt that something seemed to insistently nudge his mind.

Mace frowned and a sidelong glance towards the Grandmaster revealed that Master Yoda had also felt...something. He focused and expanded his awareness in the Force, trying to catch what might have triggered his attention. He was peripherally aware that the other members of the party had already disembarked following the Chancellor and his sycophants to the Senate. Skywalker seemed to have disappeared somewhere…

_Not too much of a surprise,_ Mace thought sourly, _probably off to cause some damage or disruption that will require Kenobi's assistance to bail him out_.

He cut himself off before he began to unleash an inner rant that was most unJedi-like. Skywalker would wait; the nudge he had felt was growing into a stranger pressure that surrounded his awareness in the Force. Obi-Wan had apparently lost a bet or deal with Skywalker and was now dealing with the media. Windu felt no small amount of sympathy for Kenobi for having to deal with them; those media vultures felt like more of a threat than the Sith sometimes. Casting dark thoughts of the creatures who called themselves the 'press' aside, he remained in the transport along with Jedi Masters Yoda, Kit Fisto, and the much younger Jedi Knight, Serra Keto. By now, all looked like they had felt what he had and were just as uneasy as he.

Frowning, Mace turned to ask Master Yoda for his insight when the pressure in his mind became almost vice-like and his senses were thrown into chaos, like a stun grenade had just gone off and his senses shorted out. It was only for a few brief seconds, but as his grasp on the Force settled, his senses continued to vibrate from the surge in the Force that he had just experienced. He felt the Force tremble and react violently to something...elusive. Not Dark, but different. Unknown. Judging by the winces and confused looks from the others, it hadn't just been him to have felt the intensity of it.

"A strong disturbance in the Force, there is," Master Yoda stated calmly. "Dark in origin, this disturbance is not. Locate the source, we must."

Master Fisto angled his head up and pointed upwards. "Does that count as a disturbance?"

Mace and the others turned to look and saw a plummeting ship that seemed to be angling towards the area they had just come from. It wasn't a large ship, a small freighter perhaps. Mace focused and found two incredibly strong signatures in the Force on board that vessel and, as Master Fisto had suggested, appeared to be the source of the disturbance.

_The source of the disruption, or at least linked to that source_ , he mentally adjusted his thoughts as he studied the incoming craft.

"Their presences are...off," Master Keto commented. Without asking the others, she set the transport to return them to where they had so recently met Kenobi and Skywalker. "One seems muted...injured I think, perhaps in a trance, but his presence is... _strong_. Very strong, but it feels...familiar, too." Master Keto frowned in confusion.

"The other one is of the Light, there can be no doubts there, but I sense that...she has been touched deeply by the Dark Side. I sense a bond between them, a Force bond as well as a bond of a romantic nature," Master Fisto added, an eyebrow rising at the thought.

Speak with them, we will. Master Windu, call for medical assistance, you must. Only from these visitors will we learn more of this disturbance."

Mace alerted the nearby civilian emergency personnel that had been on the impromptu tarmac and asked them to join them at the place the crashing ship would most likely land. Mace then settled in for the ride back to the 'landing pad' where the ship which was just now landing on. Landing or...crashing; Mace was unsure, but he couldn't help the wince when the ship finally touched ground...violently.

* * *

_What changed?_ mused Sheev Palpatine as he led his entourage into the Senate. He wanted to know what had happened but dared not show too much interest in yet another plummeting ship in the aftermath of the Battle of Coruscant. _This_ was no small event within the Force however. _Something has changed, but what?_ His unsuspecting soon-to-be acolyte was off with his wife and Palpatine felt no disturbance from him. Anakin was one of the few Force sensitives who could generate such a disturbance in the Force, and the fact that he couldn't immediately identify the source was most troubling.

The disturbance had been steeped within the Light and he was still suffering from the resulting migraine of the surge in the Force. _What changed?_ Events were coming to a precipice; the noose which would destroy the Jedi Order and their vaunted Republic would soon tighten. A powerful disturbance whose source was of the Light Side was the absolute last thing he needed. His plans had to fit together precisely in order for his overall goal to be realized and a disturbance like this could mean that something was about to throw _everything_ off kilter.

_What has changed?_

* * *

After disembarking the transport, the four Jedi Masters approached the ship. The strength of the disturbance and in the two signatures aboard the ship gave them reason to be cautious. Aside from the female whose presence had clearly been touched deeply by the Dark Side, there was no sign of any danger or hostility.

Another disturbing fact was how quiet and calm the Force was in the immediate vicinity. Only Master Yoda had so far sensed the blanketing-like effect the Force had on this area, but he knew that this calm, this quieting, would help the Jedi focus but would also help to disrupt any Darksider who attempted to pierce the veil of the Force to learn about this disturbance. When the Force communicated, precise and specific would be the last words to describe it. If this...event...was a message from the Force, than it was one that was absurdly precise and specific. There was none of the usual vagueness or subtlety that was the traditional medium of the Force. The unusual presence around this freighter was a message that told the Jedi that this occurrence, these visitors, were a product of its Will.

"To the temple, to healers, these two are to be taken. Tend to their wounds, we will. Only then will questions be asked of them," Yoda commanded.

"Is that wise? The Dark Side taints everything these days and certainly one of these individuals aboard the ship has been touched deeply by it. Should we bring them into the heart of our sanctuary?" Mace Windu questioned as they finally found themselves close to the sealed gangplank.

"Trust in the Force, we will," Master Yoda stated after a few moments of consideration. Mace Windu was a good friend, and a wise Jedi, and Yoda would always give his council due consideration, but the Force spoke strongly to him now. He reached out in the Force and coaxed the mechanical mechanisms into releasing the ramp.

Several of the civilians with light medical equipment and security officers holding blasters made their way cautiously up the ramp.

"Yes, we will trust the Force, Master. We are Jedi, our faith will always be in the Force. Then again, I've been known to appreciate a lightsaber or two," Serra Keto commented with a smirk, patting her two aforementioned objects of appreciation

Master Yoda 'harumphed' and smacked Master Keto's shin with his gimer stick before he began climbing into the battered ship. "Impertinent, you are. How you passed your Trials, I know not."

"It's her questionable charm, Master Yoda. Rumor is, Mace, that she can even make _you_ smile. There's even a legend that she even put a _grin_ on that face of yours," Master Fisto said, chuckling.

"Quiet, focus your minds. We should learn what we can before bringing them to the Temple. Inspect the ship and its contents. We may not be able to talk to them immediately, but we should gather as much preliminary information as possible. And I do not, nor have I ever, grinned," Master Windu said with his customary scowl, though there was a little more warmth in his eyes than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I apologize in advance for any mistakes I make in 'Yoda speech.' Trying my best, but I'm sure I'll be making mistakes.
> 
> Author's Note #2: I liked the idea of Fisto and Keto being more important figures, but I haven't decided whether to maintain that. Nejaa Halcyon was another character I'd like to see more of, though he would be dead by now as per canon. Perhaps references though?
> 
> Thanks for the positive feedback guys!


	5. A New World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Given his meager training with Obi-Wan and Yoda, it's not a stretch to deduce that most of Luke's knowledge and skills are either self-taught or were collected piece by piece throughout his adventures (hence his ability to call his lightsaber to his hand during ESB). Even after the trilogy, his journey to recreate the Jedi Order meant gathering more knowledge of the Force and of the old practices or teachings so it would be practical for Luke to have more than scant knowledge of the old Order. Keep in mind that Luke's Jedi Order did have several Jedi that survived the purges who helped Luke (Clighal, Ikrit, etc). Thus, Luke isn't going to be completely blindsided by the Jedi, not the minutia of their training that is, so he won't have any 'Oh, so that's how they correctly swing a lightsaber' moments. Luke is a Jedi Master and has experienced life in both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force (Dark Empire book series). Luke Skywalker is a badass, not the annoying whiny rookie who still wants to pick up some power converters at Tosche Station. Speaking of old Jedi, isn't Ikrit just absolutely adorable?

_"Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life. And so you might say that we are encouraged to love."  
_ _\- Anakin Skywalker_

**#**

**Coruscant, the Jedi Temple  
19 BBY**

_Pain._

_Despair._

Luke was aware of both wracking his mind and heart. Some of the pain was physical, but Luke was able to filter much of it out. He still held the wisdom the Yoda had given to him so many years ago, wisdom that had helped guide him through even the most tumultuous of times, wisdom that helped him now.

" _Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter."_

With the old Jedi adage in mind, Luke was able to block out the pain of the poison that still lingered in his veins. But this was the least of his hurts. _Leia. His sister!_ His twin sister had died on Shimrra's Citadel. Even in his state of unconsciousness, her death had ripped through his awareness like a vibroblade slicing across flesh. _Leia! Han! His niece and nephew!_ All gone now in the pyre that the Citadel had become in its destruction.

_Despair_.

He knew that something else had happened during his trance; he had sensed the cataclysmic change in the Force and the immediate relief when he found himself enveloped by so _much_ Light _._ He knew he would wake soon and gave himself this time to grieve for the loss of his sister and the family he had loved so fiercely. He gave himself the time to mourn at the loss of the two people who had accompanied him into adulthood ever since they had all met on the first Death Star. Han and Leia.

_His sister._

_His best friend._

He would grieve now, and he would face the world when he was ready. Mara was still here and still with him and that would be enough for now. Strangely, he could sense a multitude of presences in the Force, strong and trained that were completely unknown to him. After further consideration, Luke was disturbed when he realized several of those presences weren't unknown, presences that shone brilliantly in the Force, presences that were unmistakably familiar and also unmistakably dead.

_What happened?_ Luke wondered, but decided that he would leave the question unanswered for now. He had to recover from his hurts, emotional and physical, before he could rejoin Mara in the waking world and face whatever new threat that they might encounter.

* * *

Mara was ready to come out of her Force trance; her injuries were healed and she was more than rested, but she took her time, wanting to be as familiar as possible with her surroundings and to stave off the myriad questions that were sure to barrage her. She felt the emotions of those around her: compassion, suspicion, burning curiosity, sparks of surprise, and even brief moments of hostility. Her very appearance, exhausted, looking like she'd crawled out of a meat grinder, and emotions that could be defined as anything but 'serene', probably explained the sharp mix of feelings. Mara was also aware that her service to Emperor Palpatine had touched her, even if she had eschewed his service decades ago.

_Relatively speaking, that is_ , mused Mara. _He is the most dangerous person right now, making sure my emotions and shields are in check is a definite must. He is still Chancellor; I could very well end up in his presence before I'm ready. Luke will need to be warned too; Farmboy could still be oblivious about how much of an open book he was._

Luke.

Luke seemed to be in a much better condition, even since the last time she had probed his injuries upon their arrival. He wasn't healed yet, not completely, but the Jedi healers were no slouches, even if they didn't possess Vergere's healing tears. But Mara knew that even when he was healed, he wouldn't wake up immediately. Based on his reaction when Mara had felt Leia perish, she could guess that he was trying to come to grasp with the loss of his twin and her family as much as he was recovering from his physical wounds. But he _would_ recover, even if his heart would always bleed for the loss of so many people dear to him.

She felt three distinct and powerful Force signatures enter her room which she assumed, based on the incredible number of trained Force Sensitives in their immediate vicinity, was the healer's area within their temple. One of them felt ancient and wise and entrenched in the Light Side of the Force. _Master Yoda,_ she thought, more than a little intimidated by the presence of Luke's former Master. But she was surprised to learn that his presence was eclipsed by another. This presence was one she had felt many times in her life in her service to Palpatine as his Hand. It was very different now than it had been. Yes, there were tinges of darkness in his presence, touches of anger and emotion barely restrained. It was obvious to Mara why Palpatine had found Anakin Skywalker such an irresistible target. But what was so different was the Light that burned in him. It was a veritable beacon. Not for the first time, Mara pitied the man who would find his Light corrupted by the Dark Side and drowned in a miasma of evil.

_This too_ , Mara swore, _I will prevent._

The third presence was unfamiliar, steeped in the Light, but one whose presence she had ever felt. It didn't feel like Master Windu whose presence she had brushed against so briefly on the _Falcon_. A Jedi Master, certainly. _Perhaps Kenobi_ , she felt a sudden urge to smile, _won't Luke get all adorably flustered over him._ Mara inwardly sighed, _well, I guess it's time to face the music._

**[You better wake up soon, Farmboy, I am _not_ going to face the Jedi Council without you to keep me from saying or doing something regrettable. Wake up soon, husband-mine. Grieve for Leia, but remember you are still needed by so many for so much. Wake up to a new world Luke, I promise you it _will_ be worth it.]**

Mara sent the message and a gentle caress to her husband through their bond and felt the momentary brush of warmth that was his acknowledgment and assent. _No more delays, Mara, time open yours eyes and see what this world brings you_ , she thought.

**#**

When Mara's eyes opened, there was a gnome-like creature staring right into her face from mere centimeters away. He was very green and he wore a ferocious frown that didn't seem to be directed at anything in particular. Despite her intention to be focused on her surroundings, her last contact with Luke had used some of the focus and concentration she should have maintained.

Apparently, she needed Luke to prevent her from doing something regrettable much sooner than she had anticipated because, confronted with that particular face upon waking, she yelped and instinctively reached for the Force and _pushed_ the creature to the other side of the room.

"What the _kriff?!_ Mara shouted, scrambling up before unceremoniously falling off the small bed she had been laying on and landing straight on her ass. _Tact and grace thy name is most certainly_ not _Mara_ , she thought ruefully even as she scrambled to her feet.

There was a moment of profound and disquieting silence, a moment that Mara used to regain her footing and the sense of 'Jediness' that she teasingly called Luke's usual calm and patient demeanor. Upon doing so and understanding the situation, she felt a great urge to put herself back into the trance and to never wake again. The silence was finally ended by an outburst of deep laughter that went on for far too long. Mara felt the urge to throw Anakin Skywalker into a wall as well; Anakin or Vader, obviously he had an evil streak as both.

_Sithspawn!_

Mara finally gathered the shreds of dignity she still had before standing up to face the Grand Master of the Jedi Order who was staring at her with an expression that could be defined as anything but 'good.' Anakin was still laughing and didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. _Calm,_ Mara focused, _must stay calm._ A man with auburn hair and a beard stood next to Skywalker _－_ _Anakin, not Skywalker. Kriff, this is going to get confusing with two Skywalkers now._ The auburn-haired man had his eyes tightly closed and was pinching the bridge of his nose. He had an unfortunate tick at one of the corners of his mouth that Mara decided she also had a great amount of distaste for, as it kept appearing to try and grow into a smirk.

"Apologies Master Yoda...I was...startled," Mara finally managed to muster.

Anakin, who had finally started to settle down, likely due to the prompting of the man that must be Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, began laughing once again.

**#**

Anakin wasn't quite sure what to think when he had first entered the medbay. Okay, well, annoyance was certainly prominent; Obi-Wan's call had interrupted his brief reunion with Padmè, but seeing the two strangers had piqued his interest enough that his annoyance had been forgotten. That was no small feat in light of the news Padmè had given him earlier immediately upon his arrival with the rescued Chancellor.

**###**

_He enjoyed speaking with Senator Organa of Alderaan. As politicians go, he didn't seem like the normal sycophant that seemed to breed in the Senate. Not a bad sort at all. He knew Padmè admired and respected him a great deal and when it came to politics and their players, he was willing to trust her judgment. Nevertheless, when he spied his wife waiting for him, he was happy to cut short their conversation so that he could embrace the most important person in his life._

_Her worry for him, her fears for him had pained him. Even after their three years of being married, Anakin still felt blessed and more than a little awed that a woman like Padmè could love and worry for him so much. However, her trembling was out of character and a surge of dread flowed through him when he felt her deepening anxiety._

" _Are you alright? You're trembling. What's going on?" he had asked._

_A tremulous smile had appeared on Padmè's face. "Something wonderful has happened. Ani, I'm pregnant."_

_Shock and confusion had stolen his voice for a second. He saw her face, knew she worried about his reaction and what it could mean for their relationship and their future. He processed it as quickly as he could. Padmè was pregnant._

_Pregnant with their child._

_He was going to be a father._

" _That's wonde-that's wonderful!" He couldn't stop the somewhat goofy smile that spread across his face then. A father. And Padmè would be a mother. He was going to be a father!_

_Padmè, ever the realist, had asked what he probably should have been asking himself at that moment. "What are we going to do?"_

_He should have been asking that, but he couldn't, not then. "We're not going to worry about anything right now, alright? This is a happy moment. Happiest moment of my life."_

_They had kissed and embraced then. Home from the sieges in the Outer Rim, home from the rescue of Chancellor Palpatine, home to Padmè and their unborn child. Even in the aftermath of his conflicting feelings of his execution of Count Dooku, at that moment, nothing could have made the moment any more perfect._

**_###_ **

That his interest had overcome his irritation was most surprising to Anakin. Padmè was pregnant with his child; he should have been angry, even upset at having to leave her in order to return to the Temple after so little time with his wife. But that irritation had faded quickly upon entering that medbay.

Master Yoda and Obi-Wan had accompanied him into the medbay and they spent a moment just looking at the two strangers who had caused such a disturbance within the Force. It was Obi-Wan who broke the silence, arms folded across his chest, expression all at once thoughtful, cautious, concerned, and confused. Anakin imagined that the expression was probably reflected on most of the faces of the Jedi who had been touched by this incident, but any further musing was interrupted with Obi-Wan's words.

"I received a report from Master Keto. She was part of the group that went aboard the vessel these strangers came in." Obi-Wan paused and gave Anakin a wry smile. "Frankly, Anakin, much of this report would probably be better understood by you. Keto described the ship as the most fascinating and impressive pile of junk that she's ever seen. It has the standard superstructure of a YT-1300 Corellian freighter, but she reports that it has been heavily modified. Oddly enough, those modifications seem geared towards smuggling, but it appears to have one of the fastest hyperdrive systems that Keto has ever seen."

Obi-Wan almost laughed when he saw Anakin glance towards the door; his former Padawan looked like he was willing to jump out the nearest window just to take a look at the ship, but he contained his amusement and continued to deliver Master Keto's report. "The interior of the ship wasn't particularly remarkable except for the compartments suitable for smuggling. Dinged up, but relatively clean. There are indications on the hull that the ship has recently seen combat," Obi-Wan paused, making sure he had both Master Yoda and Anakin's attention, "the damage isn't consistent with any weapon system we are familiar with, certainly not any kind of laser or turbolaser. The damage doesn't appear to have been dealt during the battle above Coruscant and Serra doesn't believe that the hard reentry exacerbated the damage."

Master Yoda made humming noises for a while before speaking. "Think upon this, we will. Examine the ship further, Skywalker will, but of great import I feel the strangers will be, not their vessel." Yoda nodded to himself and then indicated the aforementioned strangers. Anakin took a long look at the man on the bed.

Master Yoda, Obi-Wan, and himself had inspected the man first. He was middle-aged, not old, perhaps not even out of his prime yet. But it was his presence that affected Anakin most. He was so... _familiar_. Anakin didn't know how, but he _knew_ this man. He was middle-aged, older than Obi-Wan but not _old._ His hair had strands of gray, but he looked to be fit and robust.

The lightsaber that was on a table surface next to him was very reminiscent of Obi-Wan's design and the green blade that materialized upon its activation was stable. The weapon itself was well designed for both comfort and combat, and the scuff marks and scratches indicated that it had been used for that purpose many times. Aside from the familiarity of his presence, what was most surprising was the strength of his presence. It was shielded or shrouded somehow, he wasn't sure how though. It seemed that the other occupant might somehow be responsible for it, hiding themselves in the Force somehow. _But why?_ Anakin wondered, _surely they aren't stupid enough to think they could hide themselves from us here._ Indeed, the man's presence was a blaze in the Light Side that flared with power when he felt it.

_Who is this man? Few Jedi can emit such power…_

He looked to be perhaps a little older than Obi-Wan and wore the Jedi blacks that Anakin himself favored. The state of the clothing that had been removed from his body along with the body itself spoke of some hellish battle that had left its mark on him. Finally, Master Yoda lowered his bed so that he could examine more closely without having to leap onto the bed. _It would be unbecoming for a Jedi Master, after all_ , Anakin silently thought with amusement.

"Poisoned, he was. Of the source, we know little," the diminutive Jedi said. "Many wounds and hurts, he had. Only from the poison was his life threatened. Able to cure him, our healers were, but much effort it cost."

Master Yoda tapped his gimer stick and glanced at the entryway. "Tell us more about the poison, Master Che will. Unique in source and cure to us, it was."

Master Vokara Che, Chief Healer of the Jedi Temple entered the medical wing with the typical air of command that any doctor or healer had, Jedi or no. Satisfied that the interlopers who were visiting her patients hadn't thoroughly wrecked things, she bowed before the three assembled Jedi.

"Masters."

Master Che took a breath, her lekku twitching violently. "I'll leave it to you to examine the physical evidence of the man's injuries, but the poison we found in him was...interesting." Master Che grimaced and seemed to slump slightly.

"Master Che, are you okay?" Anakin, though he loathed the sight of any medical unit, appreciated the talents the Chief Healer wielded and was concerned at such an obvious display of weariness.

"My apologies, Masters" she responded, giving Anakin a nod, "my efforts to cure the man were taxing. The poison was...unique. It registered and responded to the Force in ways that I have never seen. Curing it required an extensive bacta treatment and the focused efforts in healing the man from several of my most promising adepts as well as myself. We had to work in tandem several times, each session lasting until we were too tired to continue. Antivirals and bacterials were added after, though that was more of an afterthought than a necessity "

Vokara Che sighed, "I have too much pride in my skills, perhaps, but I was unable to come up with a cure that required anything short of brute force application of bacta and the Force. Perhaps other healers may have been able to accomplish the same thing with more finesse, but I did not dare dally with experiments in his treatment. After examining the wound and traces of the poison that remain, I'm sure you'll understand the interest."

Master Che turned to move towards the exit but stopped and gave Anakin a rare smile, "It's also worth noting that this man has a prosthetic right hand. The mechanics of the prosthetic itself aren't particularly special. Advanced, yes, but not remarkably so. But the prosthetic also had a layer of synthskin that allowed for both a natural look as well as genuine sensitivity. We were able to get an approximation of the type of materials that the man's prosthetic used, and we, or the Republic rather, could have similar models made fairly soon. I thought you might be interested to hear that, Skywalker."

The Twi'lek's more natural scowl returned as fast as it had vanished as she began making her way to the exit. "Masters, I leave the room to you. Do _not_ disturb them unnecessarily."

Master Obi-Wan smiled warmly, "Of course, Master, as you command, Master."

Master Che smiled in turn, "Watch it Kenobi, or the next time you're in my medbay, I'll be sure to use the long needles." With a final twitch of a lek, she left the room.

Upon her departure, the three remaining Jedi examined the man's body for themselves. Though Anakin was still considering the very real-looking hand that the man apparently had, it was he who broke the silence following the Chief Healer's departure. "It's rare for her to admit to any kind of failure or ineptitude. This poison or toxin must have stymied her more greatly than she let on."

Master Yoda hummed an acknowledgment as Obi-Wan nodded and looked closely at the wound. "The poison came from this wound?" Obi-Wan asked nobody in particular, pointing to a deep wound on the man's side. Yoda's grunt of acknowledgment prompted Obi-Wan further. "The wound is odd, but the traces of the poison and the...shape of the wound...are-they remind me of something from long ago…"

Anakin approached, looking at the wound Obi-Wan had indicated. "Is that a bite...or a stab wound? You're right, Master, that is an odd wound. The traces, and the poison...it does feel familiar, Master. Where do I remem-Master!"

Obi-Wan glanced sharply at Anakin's exclamation, and nodded for the exclamation Anakin seemed ready to burst out with.

"Not long after I became your Padawan, we went to that planet in the Unknown Regions. Remember? Zonama Sekot? They had been attacked by a group of people called the Far Outsiders. The people that were Force-blind and that Master Vergere apparently had left with? This wound...it makes me think of Zonama Sekot...of Jabitha...of the Far Outsiders. And of Knight Vergere's disappearance? The poison and what I've heard of her abilities...Far too many coincidences, Master."

Obi-Wan frowned, remembering that mission, the first time Anakin had ever had to directly kill someone. To say that the mission had been complicated was a vast understatement. _But_ , Obi-Wan considered, _I think he's right._

"Yes, good thinking, Anakin. In my infirm age, I'm afraid my memory isn't quite the durasteel trap it used to be," he chuckled.

"Hmph. Old you are Master Kenobi? What then, am I, hmm?" Yoda inquired with raised brows.

Anakin coughed but was behaving well enough that he said nothing. Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "Well, his presence reminds me of yours, Anakin. Familiar, but...I'm not sure. I can almost see a little of you in his features as well."

Anakin nodded, "I see it also, Master. And the woman?"

Raising the man's bed once more, Yoda made his way over to the flame-haired woman that was close by. He lowered her bed much like he had with the man and began his own examination. He hadn't gotten very far when the woman's eyes had snapped open.

"What the _kriff!"_ she squawked.

Seeing this stranger manage to surprise Master Yoda enough that she was able to Force push him into a wall before she fell the short distance onto her rump was all it took for Anakin to push any doubts about his decision to come to the Temple. He knew he shouldn't. He knew it wasn't proper. He knew that it should definitely not be done in light of the aggressive move this interloper had performed against the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. He knew this, but it didn't stop him.

He laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: The reference to Jabitha and Zonoma Sekot was from the book Rogue Planet, written by Greg Bear. The Far Outsiders were a group of aliens that had attacked the planet whom Vergere had journeyed with upon their departure. The Far Outsiders later proved to be a small scouting force for the Yuuzhan Vong. The mission coming to the forefront of their minds was based on their own knowledge of their unique connection, or lackthereof, to the Force, as well as a nudge from the Force itself.
> 
> Author's Note #2: I like the idea of adding a little silliness to the whole thing. I especially like the idea of Anakin and Mara being most prone to being mischievous and jokers. Luke is at the point in his life where he has maintained the 'Jediness' for decades. I don't know if that attitude will remain or weaken in light of the deaths of Leia and the rest of the Solos.
> 
> Author's Note #3: I'm hoping to acknowledge some of the dark things Anakin has done, but I don't want to make his turn to the Dark Side seem imminent or inevitable. There were signs, especially in the various novels, that his dark streak was much more prominent than it was in the movies, but I'd rather the possibility of him turning be more like the movie portrayal, where the inner struggle was obvious and the attack against Mace Windu seemed as surprising to him as it was to Windu himself.
> 
> Padmé was a strong woman; I doubt she would've tolerated a sullen, angry and an increasingly darker Anakin for very long without at least subtle hints towards Obi-Wan (despite their secrets, she did acknowledge him as a friend). I think she was represented poorly in the movies, I loved Natalie Portman, but god both her's and Anakin's lines were so cheesy and she seemed far too helpless at times given her personality and accomplishments. Even the massacre of the Tusken village was something he showed remorse for, and it was in a situation that he reacted in a very human way, not a Dark-Lord-of-the-Sith-I'm-going-to-rule-the-galaxy way.
> 
> Sorry for the amount of notes I added, I thought a lot of small things or name drops needed clarifying.


	6. First Impressions

_"In a dark place we find ourselves, and a little more knowledge lights our way."  
_ _\- Yoda_

**#**

Throwing Yoda across the room had _not_ been the way she had wished to make introductions when first meeting the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. After that silence and after that _laughter_ , she was able to deliver an apology that lacked much in the way of grace. She mentally pinched herself. _Get with it, woman, we're here for a reason and acting the fool will do me no good._

As a first reaction to meeting one of the Jedi of the old Order, her reaction was fairly contemptible. Of course, as a natural side effect of being in a Skywalker's vicinity, the situation had inevitably worsened in that the recipient of aforementioned reaction had been Master Yoda. Luke revered Master Yoda and she had always imagined that meeting him would be akin to meeting the in-laws _－_

Mara's eyes twitched towards Anakin and she inwardly cringed. _Father-in-Laws are not something to think about now._ Despite the uncomfortable thought, she couldn't help the inner smirk after considering Anakin further. _Obviously, Farmboy got the short gene from his mother's side; but he and his father both have those damn blue eyes._

Yoda had recovered by now and Mara refocused her attention on him, watching warily as he made he way back towards her. His frown was... _impressive_ , and this time it was most certainly directed at her, though she didn't sense much in the way of anger from him, more like consternation and just plain curiosity. He turned that impressive frown upon the visibly struggling-to-contain-himself Anakin who stood next to a helpless looking Obi-Wan. Turning back towards Mara, he tapped his gimer stick on the floor before using it to point at the two men.

"Introductions, I will make. Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, this is. Wished for them to meet you, I did. A possible connection to you, they have," Yoda stated, thankfully ignoring her 'attack' and moving on. "Interesting and most familiar, your lightsaber is. Identical to Skywalker's it appears."

Yoda then gestured to the still unconscious Luke. "Similar to Skywalker's presence, your companion's presence is. Strong in the Force, you both are. Touched by darkness, but _o_ f the Dark Side, you are not. Remember you as Padawans, I do not, but unique and powerful skills, you have. An explanation for me, you are sure to have, hmm?"

Yoda's final words were more command than question, though Mara was struggling with his syntax. All of a sudden, Luke's occasional "do or do not, there is no try" or "size matters not" started to make a lot more sense. Mara opened her mouth, not entirely sure what to say but snapped it closed when she felt a nudge in the Force and saw Luke, eyes still closed. _I am here with Luke to save the Republic, the Jedi, to prepare the galaxy for the onslaught of the Yuuzhan Vong, but I am_ not _here to do it alone._

Luke was healed, she felt, or nearly so at any rate. She had to wait for him, they were both here and they would need to work as a team. Still, even healed, he was still in a great deal of pain. _Leia._ Mara's eyes closed, wanting to cry for Luke and for the loss of the woman she had considered a sister. But it would have to wait, Mara needed Luke now.

**[Wake up, husband-mine. I need you. Wake, Luke, I am here and I'm worried that your Master Yoda may say something that I will need you to translate.]**

Mara felt Luke's awareness shift as his mind began to stir and shake off the proverbial cobwebs. She felt him remember what he'd lost, but felt him quickly fortify himself so he could help her as best he could. It would be a moment before he was truly awake, but the process had begun; it wouldn't take long.

A crisp Coruscanti accent shifted her focus from Luke onto Obi-Wan Kenobi. "Your companion will be okay, his wound was...interesting. We've never seen its like before." Obi-Wan stated, seeing her gaze resting on Luke. He paused and glanced at Anakin, obviously issuing an invitation for the younger Jedi to speak.

"It felt familiar to Master Kenobi and I, however while we haven't _seen_ something quite like it before, we have _felt_ its like before, though not for many years. Have you ever heard of the planet 'Zonama Sekot'? Anakin asked in slow and thoughtful tones.

Mara glanced sharply at Anakin. _How do they know of Zonama Sekot?_

Her thoughts raced as she learned that the Old Republic had been aware, at least very vaguely and peripherally, that the Yuuzhan Vong existed, but Master Yoda interrupted her thoughts as she noticed him staring at her. Within moments, the others had now joined him in their steady gazes upon her. This was apparently the point where she was supposed to answer questions. Though Yoda had been the one to ask about her lightsaber, or Anakin's lightsaber- _kriff it all, it's my lightsaber and if he has a problem with it, he can go straight back to Mustafar_ -it was indeed Anakin who had shown the most interest in the weapon, attempting to be subtle in examining her saber and comparing it to his own. _Not surprising, I suppose. I'd be mighty curious too if someone popped by with the Jade Shadow_.

Obi-Wan was getting ready to ask or say something more as Mara's silence dragged on, but a hoarse groan accompanied by a soft "Mara" had them all turning to see the newly awoken Luke Skywalker.

**[Before you open that mouth of yours, Luke, you should know that we're not in our neck of the woods anymore. Or planet. Or system. Or galaxy, for that matter.]**

"A deep bond, you must have, to speak into the other's mind," Master Yoda commented, his gaze sharp and eyebrows raised.

Mara noticed that Anakin must also have sensed the flare of activity within their bond and looked like he wanted to drag them into a room and barrage them with questions. Given his status as a married man incognito, Mara could imagine his conflict and couldn't help but feel bewildered that none of the other Jedi were able to sense his emotional turmoil. But her musing was cut short when Luke finally reacted to the Grand Master's voice.

Upon hearing that voice, Yoda's voice, Luke froze. His eyes went wide, his body stilled, and his body seemed to tremble slightly as his breathing hitched. **[Mara...explain?]**

**[Apparently, the Force has seen fit to send us back to the final days of the Old Republic. Luke, we're here to make things right.]** Mara's words were matter-of-fact and were sharply contrasted to Luke's more hoarse and disbelieving tone

Like Master Yoda, both Obi-Wan and Anakin were able to sense the full scale of the bond between the two; the depth and strength of the bond was incredibly powerful, rivaling and exceeding the strength of many Master-Padawan bonds. They could sense the communication, though their thoughts and feelings were hidden. Upon the man's first waking, Obi-Wan and Anakin had both been in the position to see the man's eyes. Tired eyes; eyes that had seen too much. Obi-Wan had seen such eyes in those who fought in the war and had seen and known the horrors of battle and death. This man, and even the woman, now that Obi-Wan noticed, had those eyes.

The man who finally seemed to have become fully aware, had caught Obi-Wan's eye when he reacted so strongly to Yoda's voice. Even the unusual and powerful shields the two had woven about their minds couldn't hold back the brief burst of emotions that emanated from the man. It was a plethora of emotions that were complicated and impossible to grasp fully, but strongest among them were surprise, confusion, wistfulness, and a great deal of sadness.

The man's widened eyes had locked onto Yoda's frame before his body went rigid. The man turned towards his companion and the obvious question in his eyes made any private question irrelevant, so plainly was the distress and bewilderment pasted on his face. Finally, Obi-Wan decided that it might be best if he were the one to break the silence.

"Hello. My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. We have a lot of questions for you, but might we be introduced first?"

Obi-Wan saw the woman wince as the man's eyes widened even further. The same emotions that had come from the man when hearing Yoda's voice came forth upon hearing his name as well. The man, finally looking like he was about to speak, was interrupted by a punch to the shoulder from his companion. She didn't look angry, but intent. They held each other's eyes, their bond obviously being used for their internal conversation. As per the norm, it was Anakin who lost his patience first.

"Excuse me, but perhaps, you could speak so that the rest of us could hear, it might help in the communication process. Asking for your names isn't too much to ask for, I think."

Anakin's statement was met by an odd snort from the woman, while the man stilled again. The emotions from the man had settled a bit, but hearing and turning to Anakin, the man paled and visibly swayed. The woman put a hand on his shoulder, for comfort this time, it seemed.

"Well...this is...complicated," the man finally managed to say. Another snort from the red-haired woman punctuated his comment.

"Secrets you have, yes. A strong bond with one another, yes, one considered forbidden. Jedi, you seem to be, but known to me, you are not. Demand all your secrets now, we will not. Rest you will need, but your names at least, we would have."

The man glanced at the red-haired woman, who shrugged in answer to some unvoiced question. He gathered a deep breath and prepared to speak. Much would hinge on what he said to to these three men who had shaped his future. He thought hard and inspiration struck him from an unlikely point in his past. Luke instantly knew what he had to say, words that spoke of trust and compassion.

Anakin watched the man gather himself and open his mouth. Unlike the woman's rich Coruscanti tones, Luke spoke with an accent that seemed to be an amalgamation of Coruscant and the Outer Rim.

"My name," he stated, voice soft and eyes now locking onto Anakin, "is Luke Skywalker." He paused for a moment, humor dancing in his eyes as a smile traced its way onto his lips as he continued speaking, "and I'm here to rescue you."

The woman barked out a laugh, an obvious shared experience or story behind 'Luke's' statement, and a smirk that seemed far too mischievous appeared. "And I," she said, obviously speaking the words with great relish and anticipation, "am Mara Jade...Mara Jade Skywalker. We're married. He's my husband. We have been known to become romantically attached to one another. Frequently."

'Luke' winced and shot a glare towards the flame-haired woman who suddenly looked far too innocent with such a beatific smile on her face.

Anakin's mouth dropped open.

Obi-Wan's eyebrows shot up and a hand crept its way up to his brow to begin massaging the headache that was now apparently induced in the presence of _any_ Skywalker.

Yoda frowned an _impressive_ frown.

**#**

The three Jedi had made their leave from the two strangers after that ungraceful introduction. Unable to decide exactly how to proceed with their examination and questioning, they left the two visitors in the medbay to continue recovering. Master Yoda had enough sense and caution to have several of the few Jedi Temple Guard to stand guard and keep watch, though Obi-Wan felt that it was more for the purpose of appeasing Mace Windu's earlier suspicion than it was because of a genuine sense of danger or distrust from the two.

"To my quarters, we will go. Much to discuss, we have." Yoda stated with typical calm and authority.

_Anakin is very quiet, not much of a surprise given the circumstances, but I hope he deals with this possibility of new family well,_ Obi-Wan thought, observing his former apprentice walking at his side. Anakin's eyebrows were furrowed, and he kept making small motions that indicated he wanted to look over his shoulder in the strangers' direction. His silence lingered even upon their entrance into Master Yoda's private quarters. Though Yoda must have sensed something amiss with Anakin, he said nothing, from which Obi-Wan took his cue.

"Reacted strongly to the name Zonama Sekot, this Mara did. An important piece of the puzzle, I believe this is," Yoda stated, surprising the other two with the subject for the beginning of their discussion.

"I sensed no lie in the few words they spoke. Obviously we have little information about their circumstances, but I sensed no lie about their identity. As you said before Master, I felt no darkness within them. This feels far too...loud...to be a plan of the Sith Lord. Whoever he may be, he has proven himself to be far more illusive and subtle than this." Obi-Wan paused. "They've seen a lot of death, more than most of us, I think. I felt echoes of pain and conflict in their words. They have been witness to something horrific, some event that I don't feel I'd be familiar with."

"Luke's," Anakin paused, as if testing the name, "presence being so familiar has an explanation now. I don't know of any other family that would go by that name and they both clearly recognized me. I can't see us putting together more explanations without seeing them again. There are too many questions and their arrival feels important to me."

"A feeling, you say?" Master Yoda prompted.

"It's vague, but strong. I feel that they are important, yes, but also important to _me_ individually. Not just because of the name and possible familial connection, but something deeper. I should be near them, I think."

"Anakin, we still don't know enough about them, I'm not sure sticking you in a room with them would be safe...for you or for this 'Mara Jade'," Obi-Wan began.

Anakin's mouth had opened and a flash of annoyance had flared in his eyes until Obi-Wan spoke the last words. Calming down, Anakin smirked at the humor and gentle reminder of the tempestuous redhead.

"Correct, Anakin is."

Yoda's statement had them both staring incredulously at the Jedi Master.

"Much more balanced, your former apprentice is. A positive effect, their presence has had." Seeing the dubious glance that Anakin wore, Yoda's 'hmphed' and tapped Anakin's shin with his gimer stick. "Old I may be, young Skywalker, but blind I am not. 'Always on the move' as Master Obi-Wan says, you are. Perplexing, these strangers are, but unusally focused on them, you are. Unaware of the intensity of your own interest you were, but these two _call_ to you. A measure of inner peace, their presences gave you."

Yoda paused before looking at Anakin with his piercing gaze that always made Anakin want to squirm. He had to fight to keep eye contact and to keep thoughts of Padmé or the other things that definitely did not give him inner peace buried. "Emotional, you have always been. Prone to anger, you are. But a strong Jedi you have become, young Skywalker. But as with all my younglings, worry for you, I still do."

Obi-Wan said nothing, but the look in his eyes told Anakin that Yoda had said many of the things Obi-Wan would have liked to have said in the past. Anakin also saw the somewhat worried look in his eyes when Master Yoda referred to his temper. Anakin wasn't so self-deluded that he wasn't aware that his temper could be explosive. All he had to do was think about Tatooine and...

_But have I truly been so snappish that even Obi-Wan was cautious about talking to me directly about it? I love Padmé and I_ do _fear greatly that our relationship will be discovered_ , _but this is Obi-Wan. Both Padmé and I trust him, and I know she has been hoping that I'd tell Obi-Wan about our relationship for some time now._ Looking back, Anakin saw the many times where he overreacted with Obi-Wan, where his frustration would boil over, where his anger got the best of him. He remembered executing Dooku and his immediate reaction of shame afterwords.

" _I shouldn't have done that, it's not the Jedi way."_

And though his mind wanted to shy away from the memory, he made himself remember the Tusken village that he had destroyed on Tatooine after his mother's death. He still felt a reflexive anger that wanted to react to Yoda's statement, but he breathed out and nodded. "Yes, Master," he acknowledged simply.

Obi-Wan's wide eyes and raised eyebrows that seemed to ask 'without even an _argument?'_ made him want to snicker.

Master Yoda 'harumphed' before tapping the ground again for emphasis. "In your custody, Luke and Mara will be, Young Skywalker. Learn of them, you will. Their reasons for being here, their importance, you will discover. Free reign of the Temple, you may give them. Leave the Temple, with you to guide them, they may," Yoda declared. He looked like he had finished until he looked down and rubbed his chin.

"Much care, you must take, young Skywalker. Important they are, important reasons there are for their presence. But too much of them remains unknown. If leaving the Temple you intend, then quietly and without fanfare you must. Unwise, it would be, for the Sith to learn of their presence or their connection to you."

Anakin thought hard. He wanted Padmé. He wanted to be with her, to be with their child that even now grew inside of her, but his duty was clear. Still...he trusted her implicitly, and it's not like Mara or Luke would cast stones at his relationship. Perhaps there _is_ a way to do both. Anakin finally nodded to himself before bowing towards Master Yoda and clasping Obi-Wan on the shoulder.

"I will do as you say, Master Yoda." Anakin shot a grin towards Obi-Wan that made Obi-Wan's face fall in anticipation of some new mischief. "Well, Obi-Wan, looks like you have two more Skywalkers on your hands. A little older than me, yes, but if they are indeed my family, then I am sure they'll make that boring old life of yours exciting. _Two_ more Skywalkers, Obi-Wan!"

With a smile, Anakin left the room to the sound of Obi-Wan's heartfelt groan of dismay and the cackling laughter of the Grand Master of the Jedi Order.

* * *

"As usual, Mara, your tact leaves much to be desired," Luke admonished. He stood at Mara's side, looking out a window at a Coruscanti skyline that hadn't been touched by the intrusion of the Yuuzhan Vong. One of Luke's hands was massaging his still aching chest, but the poison finally appeared to be removed from his system with a final effort from a Twi'lek Jedi by the name of Vokara Che.

The stern Twi'lek reminded him greatly of Cilghal. They shared not only each other's exceptional skill in the healing arts, but the no-nonsense demeanor all medical personal seemed to express. Along with Cilghal, Luke had read a little of the Chief Healer from his own investigations into the Jedi Order of the past, but the records were damaged and so little else remained of the old Order that he only knew that 'Master Che was renowned for her healing'. While her skill in healing was impressive, it was her taciturn manner that took him aback. He had felt like a child being lectured by his Aunt Beru for doing something horrible when Master Che lit into him for moving too much. Still, Master Che's expertise in healing was indisputable and worthy of more than a little awe. She wasn't Vergere, but her strength in the healing arts made up for the lack of the specific technique that Vergere had mastered. So while his life was no longer in danger, the threat of the poison in his system neutralized, the wound itself was still more than a little tender.

"Stuff it, _Master_. None of our hopes are going to be met with success here if we are anything but exact," Mara stated in tones that implied Luke was an idiot if he thought otherwise. "I know you think the stars themselves shine out of their collective asses, but they were not perfect. If they had been, Sidious would never have gone unnoticed as a Sith Lord." Mara spoke with care, not wanting to use Palpatine's name just yet, needing a more formal question and answer session to even begin to broach that touchy subject.

Luke nodded wearily and closed his eyes, shoulders slumping. A shuddering breath escaped him and he finally was able to utter two names very softly, "Leia...Han."

Mara took him by the arm and sat him down in a nearby chair. She got done on one knee and kissed Luke's forehead. **[I'm so sorry Luke, I'm so sorry. We're here now, and I don't know what that means for us. By now, the woman whom Anakin married will be pregnant. We are out of our depth and we have no idea what our ultimate fates will be, whether we meet with success or failure.]**

Luke smiled briefly, his shoulders a little less tense, but his eyes were still closed. **[So you're telling me that we need to trust in the Force, Mara? How very Jedi of you.]**

Mara's response was a flick to one his ears followed by another kiss to his forehead. "Come on Luke, apparently we are going to be in Master Skywalker's care." Mara's eyebrows waggled a bit, knowing Luke, even decades after learning of his father's ultimate fate, still had a burning desire to know of his father. He wanted to know the man who had been a hero to so many only to become a creature that terrorized a galaxy.

**#**

A short time later, Luke and Mara fell into step with Anakin as he guided them around the Jedi Temple. "I'll be asking you all sorts of questions later, but I thought for now, perhaps a chance to relax might do you both some good. Are either of you hungry?"

Mara shrugged and raised an eyebrow at Luke whose stomach chose that moment to complain, smiled sheepishly, "always."

"Huh," mused Anakin, "I suppose it must run in the family." Anakin's desire to know more about them was almost tangible. He wasn't overbearing, but his desire to _know_ was ever present; Anakin may know none of the details but he, like Master Yoda, knew that something had fundamentally changed in the galaxy and particularly _his_ own paradigm.

"Alright then, we're going to check out of the Temple and head to a favorite diner of mine. We could stay here, but the food leaves much to be desired. I guess it's forbidden for Jedi to have an attachment to palatable food."

Anakin probably _should_ have felt awkward, but treating the grown man who called himself Luke Skywalker so familiarly felt...natural. This wasn't some long lost father of his, but he was family. He was a little more cautious of the acerbic red-haired woman. If Luke was all patience and serenity, then Mara was a veritable tempest of emotion.

**#**

Having a meal at Dex's diner was a fun time as always; the food was delicious, and being the former Padawan to Obi-Wan Kenobi meant that Dex was happy to make personal introductions and to make a special meal for them. The great, literally breath-taking, four-armed hug that the Besalisk gave Anakin left an amused smile on Mara's face. Luke, despite his calm, still obsessionally emitted a strong sadness that would often linger until Mara said or did something to make him smile.

_They have seen horrors, and they are not the horrors that we know of,_ Anakin thought before speaking to his companions whose hunger had been satisfied. "Alright, I thought you'd like to spend this night somewhere just a little more fancy than the Temple. I've never seen you before, so I'm making the assumption that you would like a little more liveliness in your quarters." Anakin was thankful that he had the presence of mind to contact Padmé and ask if her apartment in 500 Republica would be open to a few extra guests.

Padmé had been shocked at the question, at the notion that Anakin would bring strangers into their privacy. The shock had escalated further upon hearing their status as Jedi, and as Jedi who had married. It wasn't shock at the request so much as it was shock that Anakin was willing to allow others into their secret. Anakin's request was given due thought, but like Anakin, Padmé felt this was a good opportunity to learn of these strangers' experiences in regards to their relationships with each other and to the Force.. And so, after their meal and with Luke and Mara's agreement, Anakin had them in a speeder that was en route to 500 Republica, to meet 'someone special.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Again, apologies if Yoda's speech isn't consistent. I'm trying to allow for a better Anakin, but I realize I may be laying it on a bit thick. I believe I mentioned before, but I want to make sure that there is a good amount of humor in this story, not so much as to make it silly but still fun to read while maintaining a thoughtful 'what if?' Plus, 'But from my point of view, the Jedi are evil' Anakin is not a pleasant Anakin, in character or in writing.  
> Author's Note #2: Off to meet Padmé! I am posing in this story that Luke and Mara, while aware of most of the details of Anakin's fall to the Dark Side, were still not aware of the exact identity of Anakin's wife, his mother. They know of Mustafar and his actions on Coruscant, but the moment he dedicated himself to Palpatine and motivations or reasons behind his fall are still in question.


	7. Mother

_"What if the democracy we thought we were serving no longer exists, and the Republic has become the very evil we have been fighting to destroy?"  
_ _\- Padmé_

**#**

Or at least, speeding on their way to 500 Republica had _been_ the plan. _A_ _pparently going out and about after being stabbed and poisoned by an amphistaff after just being admitted from the medbay is a bad idea,_ Mara thought grumpily as she and Anakin gently assisted Luke onto one of the small beds used for recovering patients. They had been in the speeder for perhaps a whole five minutes before Luke's body had cramped painfully. The wound hadn't gotten any worse, but obviously Luke required more than a day to recover. Mara knew how much Luke despised receiving any kind of medical treatment and so stood in sympathy as Master Che berated Luke, Anakin, and even herself for endangering Luke's recovery.

It wasn't too long before Luke fell into a natural sleep while Mara grabbed a seat nearby. Anakin wasn't sure how, but at some point in their journey, Mara appeared to have procured a vibroknife. Either she managed to hide one from the Temple Guards when she was brought in, or she managed to obtain one while on their earlier sojourn. He wasn't entirely sure which possibility was more worrying, but Mara now sat next to Luke tinkering with the weapon. She didn't seem inclined for much conversation, so Anakin gave her directions to a room the Jedi had prepared for both of them and made his departure.

* * *

Padmé stood on the banister and smiled when she felt her husband wrap his arms around her from behind. Since finding out that she was pregnant, she had found him doing so often. She had been worried about his reaction to her news, worried about his position as a Jedi, and worried about her position as a Senator. Seeing just how pleased Anakin was had dispelled the worst of her fears. Yes, there were still causes for anxiety, but at least she wouldn't be alone. Padmé was content to stay like that for a few minutes before she asked softly, "What's happened, Anakin? You said that we would be having several guests...it's not just the fact that they're in a relationship like us, is it?"

Anakin marveled at Padmé's insight. She may not be as connected to the Force as a Jedi Knight, but her perception rivaled many of the Masters he'd met. "Yes, after Obi-Wan and I came back from rescuing the Chancellor, another ship crashed onto the surface right near us. The two Jedi we met were onboard, unconscious." He paused, thinking for a moment before continuing, "The two individuals are...strange. And the disturbance they caused in the Force was probably felt by every Jedi on the planet. The man's name is _Skywalker_ , Padmé, _Skywalker._ We felt the truth from him, but how? My mother said there was no father, and Obi-Wan told me that Qui-Gon was convinced of the fact. This man _is_ old enough to be that father, or an uncle...but Mom would have said _something_."

Padmé turned in Anakin's arms to face him and put a hand on his chest that grown tense in his rising anxiety. "Well, Ani, we'll just have to see what he says. Come on Ani, it has been a _very_ long day and I haven't said 'hello' to you properly."

With a smile, Anakin kissed first her forehead and then her lips as they walked back into the apartment. His arm wrapped around her middle before it descended to rest lightly on her ass. A few minutes later, man and wife said 'hello,' _properly_.

* * *

A few days later, Luke was pronounced healthy enough to walk out of the medbay without incurring the formidable wrath of one Twi'lek Chief Healer. Anakin had been making frequent visits to the two visitors to check up on them, but Master Che's eyes held a dangerous glint whenever conversation began to broach serious matters. When Luke was released, both he and Mara joined Anakin and Obi-Wan in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Luke and Obi-Wan were quite content to spend some time meditating whereas Anakin and Mara were startled when they noticed themselves rolling their eyes in unison. Anakin found this to be the perfect moment to ask a question that had been on his mind since he'd first laid eyes on Mara.

"So, that's a pretty wizard lightsaber you have," Anakin said somewhat lamely. As a subtle way of bringing a topic up, it was extremely lacking.

Mara displayed her awareness of that with a raised eyebrow and that smirk that seemed to be ever-present. "I agree, Anakin, quite 'wizard.'"

Anakin scowled, "It looks a lot like mine, almost identical really. How'd you come up with the design?"

"I didn't, actually," Mara stated, "Luke gave this to me. I still don't know why really, but it is difficult to refuse Luke anything. He has this rather pathetic look that he displays that could cause even the cruelest Sith Lord to relent."

The words were humorous and Anakin laughed at them, but there was a subtle undercurrent of meaning that was lost on him. "Well, how did he get it?"

"That's not my story to tell," Mara stated serenely. Seeing Anakin's dubious look, she stated in a much more stern manner, "that's my way of saying, not now, we'll tell you later, laserbrain."

That startled another laugh out of him and he relented his questioning. When it came to what was important regarding the strangers, the lightsaber that was nearly identical to his was _not_ at the top of the list. Priorities and all that.

**#**

Luke was elated to be where he was, with Obi-Wan and his _father_ in the old Jedi Temple. Knowing the trials ahead of him didn't stop him from enjoying that fact now. Seeing Obi-Wan was much more rewarding than he had thought it would be; he was _young_ and _vibrant,_ so different from the old, weathered, and haunted man who had made such a significant impact in his life in the scant amount of time they'd spent with each other. Luke spent a great deal of time thinking of Leia. Of Leia and Han. Of Jaina and Jacen. Even of Anakin, the youngest son of the Solos who had perished some time before the Battle of Yuuzhan'tar. He missed them all, missed them _terribly_ , was would sacrifice much to see his best friends and their family again. Even if this galaxy in this time was saved, he didn't know what would become of him and Mara, whether they would stay in this time or become one with the Force. Even if he joined the Force, would he sense Leia's presence in this changed universe? So many thoughts and possibilities that he ultimately had to let go of; there was nothing he could do about it.

He couldn't stay maudlin forever though, he had things to do, people to see, fathers to save, and mothers to meet. Luke smiled slightly at the last thought. Much had become to known of the final days of the Republic, but they mystery of his mother remained. He and Leia had conflicting thoughts on the matter, but he had always desired to meet her. A nudge in the Force caught his attention and he brought his focus onto Mara. Mara and Anakin's impatience was becoming a tangible thing and he knew better than to irritate his wife without just cause, so he ended his meditation and prepared himself for whatever was to come.

* * *

Anakin couldn't help but be nervous. He still believed introducing his wife was a good idea for several reasons. It would help Anakin, Luke, and Mara trust each other and it would help lighten his own burden as well, but keeping their relationship, let alone their _marriage_ , secret had become a deeply ingrained habit. As the three rode in the turbolift to their destination, Anakin had already broken out in a light sweat and he knew that his anxiety would be easily sensed. Luke and Mara, however, were kind enough that they chose not to remark on it.

Anakin realized he was alarmingly close to tapping his foot, an obvious sign of his internal riot of emotions. _This is the right course of action_ , he told himself, _show trust and receive trust in return._ Closing his eyes, Anakin thought of Padmé and squared his shoulders. Luke and Mara, aside from their dramatic entrance into his life and onto Coruscant, had shown themselves to be kind individuals, genuine in their compassion. Mara might be a little more 'trouble,' but she was the kind of trouble he could appreciate in a friend. He didn't know how this was going to end, but he knew Padmé was strong and would be able to handle the idea of others knowing their secret, far better than he. _Trust in the Force, Obi-Wan would say_ , Anakin thought, _I think this time, I will trust in Padmé._

He could feel the Force brimming with an uncertainty that seemed completely unrelated to the current trials the Republic or the Jedi Order faced. As if to reinforce that interpretation, the roiling undercurrents that seemed to be contained within Luke and Mara's presence remained ever-present. Luke and Mara felt...different than the Force signatures of people or other Jedi he'd encountered. They were powerful, both of them, but it wasn't different like the minute changes one would see from person to person, but like a completely different paradigm of the Force had anchored itself to them.

Outside of their presence, it would be completely unnoticed except for the subtle feeling of impending change. The change in the Force that seemed to have been caused by or connected to Luke and Mara had even muted some of the confusion and shifted the veil caused by the war, the Sith, and the havoc that was encompassing the galaxy. _Something is going to happen, some change is upon us and these two are part of it. I don't know what these two know or have planned that could affect the Force in such a profound way, but I swear that at least some of our questions will be answered this tonight._

**#**

Luke was aware of Anakin's shifting emotions. The flashes of anxiety, fear, hope, excitement, and longing were practically shouted out into the air. When Anakin had announced his intention to take them to a friend's residence for them to stay at, Luke felt both he and Mara had stiffened instantly. Anakin had been oblivious, smiling at some hidden thought that was crossing his mind, but both Luke and his wife had exchanged a very pointed glance.

They were not ready for Palpatine; Luke was not in top form just yet and they were both still recovering from the typical weariness that is the result from any battle. All of that was less important than the fact that a true plan was needed to confront this Palpatine. Luke had seen and fought a much younger clone of Palpatine and his power in the Force and skill with a lightsaber still imposing even now. He felt pretty confident that he could take Palpatine, but when you're playing a sabaac hand with the fate of the galaxy as the stakes, caution is generally advised.

The feeling of longing had set Mara and Luke a little more at ease. Mara had mentally nudged him and a sense of her impish smile had accompanied her message through their bond.

**[Well Farmboy, your father is positively bubbling with some very un-Jedi-like emotions. I don't believe Palpatine is a worry for tonight, husband-mine, unless Anakin might have some subtle feelings for the-]**

Luke stopped Mara with a subtle pinch on her ass; this of course, while having the desired effect of stopping the disturbing line of thought, only widened her smile that promised ether violence or sex. It was always a toss up with Mara.

Luke found it somewhat odd that Anakin and Mara seemed to get along fairly well. Until arriving at the turbolift, most of the conversation had been upheld by his companions. Luke knew that Mara had met Darth Vader many times in her service to the Emperor and he knew that Darth Vader was not someone Mara had particularly liked. 'Not particularly liked' being a euphemism for 'despised.' But Anakin was a different matter, a different person, that is. It was almost disturbing in a way; they both had similar mannerisms and both had a very dry, acerbic sense of humor. Luke supposed that, given their similar personalities, it was just as likely that they'd befriend one another as it would be for them to absolutely loathe each other.

Despite his own ongoing internal grief of Leia death and the shock of their arrival into a bygone era, Luke couldn't help the small smile that lingered on his face as he listened to their ongoing banter and dance of well-intentioned teasing. _It must be weird for Mara to be dealing with a 'baby Vader,' or perhaps..._ Luke's smile suddenly became a devilish grin, which he hid from view by turning to look out at the skyline.

**[Isn't this incredible, Mara? Even though we've been married for almost 10 years, it must be a relief to finally meet your father-in-law and have a nice heart-to-heart with him.]**

Luke watched as Mara paused in whatever she was saying and nearly laughed as her eyes went almost comically wide. Anakin was oblivious and was asking worriedly if she were alright. Mara shot a very quick glare towards Luke before assuring Anakin that she was just fine.

**[Kriff off,** _**Master** _ **. I had finally put it out of my mind and now it's all I can think about. Considering what your daddy did to his son-in-law, I'd prefer that our relationship remain unknown for now. Being a block of carbonite is _not_ my look. Hush now, or I'll kill you for real.]**

Luke's smile didn't waver at the memory of Han or of Bespin, and it especially didn't waver at her threat. She had lost her desire for killing or maiming him a long time ago.

He had to wonder what Leia would have thought about all this. He felt the gaping void where his connection to Leia had been. Discovering it when he had hung from that weather vane below Cloud City on Bespin had been like discovering a completely new part of himself. Leia had had a terrible time adjusting to the notion of Darth Vader as her father, but she had gradually come to accept that she was the child of Anakin Skywalker. She had even come to accept it enough that she named her third child Anakin.

Luke had a moment of sorrow as he remembered Anakin Solo. A bright boy, strong in the Force, and just so _good_. His sacrifice on Myrkr allowed many Jedi to escape with their lives after destroying the Voxyn Queen, but his loss had been hard on so many. But giving Anakin his name had been a sign that Leia had come to terms or at least had found some measure of peace in regards to their parentage.

_What would Leia think, if she could see our father like this? Not a monster, not a respirator wearing hulking black figure, but a man. A Jedi, yes, but just a man._ Luke figured Leia's first impulse would be to slap him the young man, the thought of which helped chase the sadness that memories of Leia and the clan stirred and made him smile. _She'd slap him silly, but I think she'd see some of what I've been saying about our father all these years._

Luke figured that Anakin was taking them to someone he trusted, and that note of longing that emanated from him made his own pulse speed up. _Longing?_ _Could he be taking us to my mother?_ Luke didn't want to give the thought too much credit for fear of disappointment. He still desperately wanted to know who she was. _Or is_. Luke corrected himself. His mother is alive now, and if he'd lucky and if the Force wills it, perhaps I'll finally meet her.

There would be much to say regardless of whom they were meeting. Deciding how much to say would be tricky; keeping secrets from someone who may be on the edge of falling to the Dark Side could be just the thing to push him over if discovered. But telling him about the full horrors of his future might not be the best way to help him find peace. _And I do not wish to give him any information from 'a certain point of view.' Stang, If Leia wants to slap Father, then I want to slap Obi-Wan for that charming surprise._

Luke refocused on his surroundings as the turbolift finally came to a halt at one of the top floors. The view was as spectacular as he remembered it from the time he spent with Leia and Han at their own residence on 500 Republica. Anakin seemed to have settled slightly and ushered them forward. A few minutes of navigating the halls of the building eventually had them facing a door that Anakin had led them too. The young man looked briefly torn but he settled himself and knocked firmly on the door.

Seconds later, a young woman elaborately dressed answered the door. She smiled widely at Anakin but looked unsure how to react in the presence of strangers. Anakin settled the matter quickly and decisively as he leaned down and cupped the woman's face and kissed her solidly on the mouth. Coming back up, the woman was red-faced and looked like she wanted to either maim Anakin or drag him to the nearest horizontal surface.

Looking determined, but still anxious, he turned from the woman to look at Luke and Mara intensely. "Padmé, this is Luke Skywalker, and his wife, Mara. Luke, Mara, this is _my_ wife, Padmé Amidala.

**#**

Luke felt his world tilt on its axis for a moment as he finally heard the name of his mother and as he took in the full vision of the woman who bore that name. He looked at her face first and saw Leia's soft brown eyes looking back at him. Her pregnancy was visible ever through her elegant, voluminous clothing that helped to disguise her swollen womb. Disguised or not however, he could feel the unmistakable presence of the unborn children within Padmé's womb.

He couldn't discern Leia's individual status; the Leia and Luke of this age were too new to the world to have developed their own presence. But even so, Luke felt a sense of relief come over him as he realized that, whatever else may have happened, there was a Leia in this world ready to become a sister to her twin brother. Even if it wasn't _his_ sister, it was Leia just the same. Studying Padmé further, it was obvious that Leia's beauty had mirrored her mother's.

"Where are the droids," Padmé asked Anakin as she guided them into her apartment. Anakin's response was lost on both Luke and Mara though as they gazed upon the woman who had to be Luke's mother.

**#**

Padmé was _gorgeous._ Those brown eyes on a soft face framed by cascading brown curls of hair that were in a simple, yet elegant, style. At first, Mara thought that the softness that seemed to define Padmé's beauty might extend to her personality as well, given her quiet and well-spoken tone that had accompanied her words. That idea was swiftly abused by a thoughtful study of Padmé's eyes.

Those eyes held a fierce determination to protect Anakin from these two strangers who would lay claim to the Skywalker name. Those eyes and even her whole posture again belied that possibility as the fire of determination that had defined Leia for decades revealed their origin in Padmé.

_Padmé._

_It has to be Padmé._

_Something about her, a threat to her life or an attack induced Anakin's fall to the Dark Side. A threat, attack, or abduction; something that could be used as coercion or manipulation, this_ has _to be how Anakin fell._ The idea could have been from the Force, but it could have just been likely been hers. Mara didn't know many people who wouldn't go to extreme lengths, even dark lengths, to save someone they loved. That was the foundation behind the rule regarding attachments in the Jedi Order. Luke may have allowed attachments in his new Jedi Order, but he never hesitated to explain the danger of attachment, of the manipulation one could full under because of one's ties to the world.

Mara considered this. There were other possibilities, other reasons Anakin might fall, but a strong Jedi whose company either included Jedi Masters or his pregnant, and presumably vulnerable wife...Padmé made a tempting target to use against Anakin. One had to have knowledge of their relationship, which did seem to have been hidden successfully, but secrets always have a way of being discovered.

All of these thoughts were going through Mara's mind in just a few seconds as time seemed to pass impossibly slow. _Save Padmé to save Anakin. Save Padmé to prevent the rise of Vader and, hopefully, to ensure the fall of Palpatine. Padmé is the key._

Luke's voice finally broke the silence that had followed Anakin's declaration, a silence that was just on the verge of becoming uncomfortable. "It's a pleasure to meet you Padm-may I call you Padmé?"

Padmé's wary demeanor softened slightly at his stumbling words and replied, "Anakin says that you are his kin. _We_ are family then, Padmé would be fine." Padmé paused for a moment, exchanging a glance with Anakin. "So...Luke...how exactly _are_ you related to Anakin?" Anakin relaxed slightly as the question he had been desperately wanted to ask had finally been voiced.

**[Well Farmboy, I'll let you take the lead on this one. It would be wise, Luke, to remain truthful but to avoid dumping too much on their plates all at once. Our presence here is already a lot to swallow, if we bring up Palpatine, Vader, or the Vong than I think we'd lose them. One thing at a time.]**

Mara felt Luke's mental acknowledgment before Luke responded. "Do you have somewhere we can sit and talk? We have a great deal to say and much of it will be hard to understand and accept. It would be best for us all to be comfortable."

Anakin and Padmé exchanged a glance and a redoubled sense of wariness emanated from the two. Padmé finally stepped back into her apartment and gestured from them to enter.

**#**

Luke and Mara were guided by Padmé and Anakin to a tasteful sitting room. It was classy, but not gaudy like the style of many senators that Mara had met while the Empire had ruled. The four moved to sit down, but Mara reached into her pocket and pulled out a device and sat it on the table before activating it. A small light flickered on and a brief high pitched noise issued from it before it became noiseless once again.

"I trust your security force's competence, Padmé, but you are a senator, the secret wife of a Jedi, and you surely have many enemies. What gets discussed tonight are things that I have no wish to be shared with others," Mara stated calmly.

Padmé paused before raising a brow and asked, "I don't know many Jedi who are so well versed in surveillance techniques and technology."

Mara's gave a humorless smile that was more than a little disquieting to Padmé. "Well, I wasn't always a Jedi. I am a woman of many talents."

Anakin joined the conversation with a confused expression on his face. "You weren't always a Jedi, what do you mean? The Jedi don't like to train older people. Stang, I was nine and they didn't want to train me then. What were you before then?"

"I was an assassin and occasional spy."

Padmé and Anakin both stiffened and one of Anakin's hand had drifted to his lightsaber. Padmé then turned to Luke, who had been casting surreptitious looks towards her throughout the exchange. "And you? An assassin as well?"

Mara barked out a laugh. Luke lifted a shoulder, "Ah...no, I'm just a Jedi. But like Mara, I wasn't trained until late in my life. I grew up on a moisture farm," he added as he saw Anakin's frown, "Mara and I didn't actually meet until about ten years ago."

"And how did an assassin and a farm boy come to meet?" Anakin asked, a frown still etched upon his face.

"I tried to kill him," Mara said.

**#**

Almost half an hour later just a few clarifying remarks later, and the four were still sitting. Luke and Mara were being largely ignored as Padmé and Anakin digested the story of how the two had met. An assassin forming a Force Bond with a Jedi, the target she'd been ordered to kill by a Darksider? It was a little much, even for a slave-turned-Jedi who had secretly married a senator of the Republic.

Padmé finally sighed, "Okay, moving on. I still want to know. Who exactly are you, Luke? Who are you to Ani?"

Anakin scowled as he saw Mara mouthing 'Ani' in the air, smiling as she tested the sound of it. Luke turned to him and Anakin stilled. There was something in his expression. It spoke of many things, intense emotions and powerful memories. It wasn't something that he could pin down but it was disconcerting.

"Well...Anakin...you are my father," Luke stated calmly, the anxiety in his eyes betraying his seemingly serene demeanor.

* * *

Sheev Palpatine reclined in his chair, sighing as the pathetic politicians and lobbyists finally removed themselves from his presence. _Something has changed._ The thought had been echoing in his mind now ever since his 'rescue' from Grievous. He wasn't sure what _had_ changed and that in itself was quite concerning.

Decades of planning, years of bribes and pretending and hiding. _My life will not be for nothing,_ Palpatine snarled, _my plans will succeed and I will see the Jedi Order and their beloved Republic ground into dust._

There were so many plans in motion, so many events that were now coming to a head. It wouldn't be long now, not lung until he could begin exterminating the Jedi, and with them gone, the Republic would be his. _But the Jedi must die. Order 66 will cut them down, but the Temple itself but also be gutted, and that is where I will need my new apprentice._

Palpatine closed his eyes and let his awareness drift through the Force. The tremors that had troubled him so badly days ago had lessened, but were still present.

_Anakin_.

His plans for Anakin had started many years ago and his fate was all but sealed. A few more deceptions and manipulations and he would have the Jedi Council push their vaunted 'Chosen One' right into his hands. _Whatever has changed will be something that I'll have to discover later. Everything is at a nexus now, events are at a critical point and it will soon be the time to execute the final stages of my plan._

Anakin's emotions were as troubled and turbulent as they ever were, and Palpatine smiled when he felt the spikes of anger and confusion that had become more and more frequent in the last year. He had no way of knowing the source of these particular spikes, but the presence of those emotions meant that Anakin was still in a position to become his.

_Soon. Soon I will usher him into my service._ Palpatine smiled. A pregnant wife meant that he would be most susceptible to the emotions that had always gripped him the hardest. And Anakin was ever so prone to nightmares and visions. A smile was pasted on Palpatine's face as he concentrated on the boy who would serve him to destroy the Jedi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: So first I'd like to acknowledge that, yes, this was the first fanfiction story I'd ever written. And with that acknowledgment, I know that I am not the best of writers and that there's a good chance that I've been truly murdering the English language along with its grammar. I apologize for this.
> 
> I'm not sure how successful I have been, but I know that keeping a consistent tense is something I've been trying to maintain. I've been occasionally moving across different points of view and I hope that it hasn't been too hard to keep track of. So yeah, basically, sorry if I'm an atrocious writer (on the technical basis)  
> Author's Note #2: "Anakin, you are my father!" I've been wanting to add that line since I first thought out this story. Again, this is part my humor thing. I love taking quotes or events from other books/movies of the Star Wars universe and adding them in here.  
> Author's Note #3: Palpy! He's not killed yet, and he wasn't a Sith Lord for his ability to issue idle threats. As much as Luke and Mara have the potential to change things, Palpatine is still a Dark Lord of the Sith and one of the most powerful Force sensitives in the galaxy. There was a brief mention of R2-D2 and C-3PO when they first arrive at the apartment. I have not forgotten about them! I felt that they would be unnecessary distractions at this point, but I plan for their return to be fairly soon.
> 
> In other news, I have totally planned out the ending for this. But I am still agonizing over how to get there. Got this posted early, hope you enjoy!
> 
> Always looking for feedback!


	8. Father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: I think I've explained it, or will explain it soon, but Luke has learned more about the Jedi, their ultimate fate, the Clone Wars, Order 66, and his father. What he hasn't learned much about is his mother. After the Jedi Purges, much of the information, history, and relics of the Jedi was strategically wiped out and destroyed. There was very little to connect Anakin to Padmé as anything beyond friends even during the Clone Wars, and after the purges and deaths of the few people who knew, there was even less (i.e. Bail Organa and Obi-Wan).

" _What are you doing? Trust him, trust him!"  
_ _\- C-3PO_

**#**

"I trust him," Anakin finally said after long minutes of silence. In front of him, his wife paced the length of their bedroom. _Force help me that she doesn't know that I think her attempt to pace is hilarious,_ Anakin thought, biting his cheek. As beautiful as she was, pregnancy had made her stressed pacing into an awkward angry waddle _._ It had been several hours since Luke's revelation and they were still trying to grasp the pronouncement that their _son_ , who even now grew in Padmé's womb, was also a middle-aged man, from the future, in the next room over. This new acceptance of his, even if hesitant, surprised Padmé greatly given that his initial response had been...less than ideal.

**###**

" _What?" Anakin said, not entirely sure he had heard correctly. The Force felt heavy around them, pregnant with a deeper and different texture than before._

" _Luke is your child," Mara stated, "one of the children that, even now, grows within you, Padmé."_

" _Child_ ren _!?" Anakin and Padmé both yelped, missing the shadow of pain that briefly crossed Luke's face._

" _What do you mean...child_ ren _?" Anakin asked, his calm disappearing in a rising tide of excitement._

" _It was supposed to be a surprise?" Mara asked, blinking. Luke's reaction was only to massage his brow._

" _Yes!" Anakin and Padmé both shouted in unison._

_Mara lifted a shoulder, "Oops."_

_Anakin laid a hand on his wife's belly looking far too delighted at the possibility of more than one child for Padmé's taste, but he seemed to finally gather the import of what Luke and Mara had said. "Wait, what?" Anakin asked. "What are you talking about?"_

" _My name is Luke Skywalker, and you, Anakin, are my father and_ you _Padmé, are my mother," his calm remained, but Luke would admit the anxiety that plagued him now. Revealing himself as their child was something he been both dreading and yearning for and while he knew that their initial reaction would most likely not be favorable, that didn't stop him from wanting that sense of belonging he had yearned for growing up on Tatooine._

" _What kind of bantha fodder is that?" Anakin nearly shouted. "You may feel familiar...but...that doesn't even make sense! Any Jedi could feel our similar presence, but that gives you no right to come here and exploit Padmé's condition to support some claim of family. Don't you dare come here with such ridiculous nonsense." He had stood by that point, a finger jabbing angrily in the air towards Luke._

 _Even after everything he had been through with his father, with Darth Vader, he still felt some hurt at Anakin's words, but he pushed the hurt down. The situation_ was _ridiculous, and he couldn't blame either of them for their disbelief. "It's the truth, Anakin. Perhaps if you heard more, you might understand more about my being here."_

" _He could call you Dad...or Daddy, if it would help?" Mara supplied helpfully. Trying, but failing, to inject a little levity in the conversation as Padmé's face darkened with anger at her flippancy._

" _I think you need to leave. Now," she said icily. She looked like she would continue speaking in that harsh tone before she calmed herself down. "Anakin said that you were promised a room for this night. You may stay for the night, but tomorrow you should return to the Temple. I don't appreciate these kinds of games. Anakin says you_ are _family, but that doesn't excuse this."_

_Padmé levered herself up and made her way to her room, her pregnancy doing nothing to hamper her dignified exit. Anakin looked at Mara and Luke, anger still clouding his eyes, but the anger was now mixed with confusion as he stared hard at Luke and felt the familiarity of his presence and the way everything in the Force was almost screaming at him to accept Luke's words as truth. He opened his mouth as if to speak before closing it with a grimace. After a moment, he tried again. "We will speak more in the morning," he said before leaving to join Padmé._

**###**

"That's a bit of a departure from before, Anakin...what's changed? Padmé asked. She was the picture of calm, but any Force-sensitive could feel the confusion, the hurt, the hope, and the utter incredulousness that clashed within her at the man's ridiculous claim.

"When Luke first said that he was our son...I reacted from my thoughts, not my feelings. It _should_ be _impossible_ , it _should_ be ridiculous, a trick or a trap. Though my mind says all of these things even now, I can't help but feel that he is telling the truth. Even knowing and feeling what I do, the disturbance in the Force they caused, the ripples they cause with their very presence...it gives credence to the possibility. It may be that what he tells is a truth that he only _believes_ to be true, but a simple blood test would confirm his claim." Anakin paused, brow furrowing as he finally say on their bed. "This feels right even if I don't know why. Mara and Luke believe they have traveled here, traveled through _time_ , and that they are here to accomplish something. If this is the Will of the Force, Padmé, than something truly terrible must be coming for the Force to act in such a blunt manner."

"Nothing is ever simple with the Skywalkers, is it?" Padmé asked rhetorically. "As if reading emotions, levitating large objects, and destroying Sith Lords weren't enough, our child apparently has to outdo you and time travel." Having heard Anakin's confession about the events aboard the _Invisible Hand_ and Count Dooku's death, Padmé paid close enough attention that she saw the tiny flinch in Anakin's face, and laid an apologetic and comforting palm against his face. Stressed and anxious as she was, Padmé was more confused about the turn of events than truly worried or afraid of Luke.

Anakin believed Luke's claim to be their child, though Luke and Mara were obviously just as perplexed about their presence here as Padmé and Anakin themselves. They seemed confused about their presence here, yes, but they at least had some idea about the _why_ and it was the _how_ that was the most confusing to them. Mara, their son's _wife_ , stated that it was the Will of the Force, the bland answer being all that would ever be needed to confirm her status as a Jedi. Padmé's husband was the Jedi in the family, and though he obviously had some of the same qualms in this situation as her, she was willing to trust his judgment when it came to the Force.

Usually.

Sometimes.

It had been apparent that Anakin and Padmé would need more time to contemplate the implications so Luke and Mara had swiftly made their way to the room Padmé had prepared for them once she and Anakin had finished their initial angry outburst. It was fairly obvious by their expressions that this one revelation was only the tip of the iceberg of what Luke and Mara would be telling them.

_Their son._

As usual, Anakin was somewhat torn on what he was feeling. At first, he couldn't deny the rage that wanted to spill over at the absurdity of the claim, but the feeling had morphed swiftly into confusion mixed with a blend of happiness and sadness. They knew nothing of Luke or Mara's lives, but it was clear they had suffered great hardship. They were too...hard, even more so than many of the soldiers and Jedi that he had encountered throughout the war. But for everything they might have endured, Anakin couldn't help but feel proud about the older man who claimed to be his son.

_He is a far better Jedi than I could ever hope to be, better than most Jedi could ever be. As powerful as I am, yes, but filled with an innate goodness that reminds me so much of Padmé._

"What now, Ani?" Padmé's voice was soothing as the arm that wrapped around the Jedi's waist.

"We listen. We listen to what they have to say. Tomorrow we'll have more opportunities to speak with them," Anakin stated slowly and thoughtfully. "We should get to bed too, Padmé, you need your rest, too."

Padmé scowled even as she moved to acquiesce to his suggestion. "Anakin, I'm pregnant, not dying."

"Humor me, consider it practice for getting Luke 2.0 to nap. This is a learning experience!" Anakin chuckled before catching a thrown pillow with the Force and pushing it back at Padmé.

"You're awful, Ani. Fine, if I have to sleep, so do you," Padmé commanded with an imperious tone.

"As you wish, m'lady," Anakin smiled as he slipped off his robe and joined his wife in their bed. "He said children, Padmé, _children_ ," he had to smile at the thought, though the smile dimmed a little at Padmé's next words.

"If we are to have _children_ , why is it only Luke who came back?" she asked.

Anakin didn't answer, but he felt a sudden sadness that he couldn't explain, so his silence lingered. He kissed his wife and wrapped an arm around Padmé. "Something we will have to ask, tomorrow," he eventually whispered into her hair. He thought she might have gone to sleep but peeked at his wife when she began to chuckle softly.

"What?" he asked, somewhat suspiciously.

"I was just wondering how the _kriff_ that boy of ours managed to bag a woman like that Mara," she answered, laughing. Anakin's eyes had widened at her language, but crinkled as he joined her in soft laughter. Their laughter eventually ceased and soon his eyes were closed and his breathing had begun to deepen when he rested his flesh-and-blood hand on Padmé's swollen belly and whispered, "Luke," before smiling and finally falling asleep.

After he closed his eyes and joined his wife in sleep, his nightmares, as vivid and terrible as they had been about his mother years earlier, came to haunt Anakin's sleep once more.

* * *

Anakin was on the veranda, head held in his hands as he recalled the nightmare of the night before. _Not again, please not again,_ he begged the universe, the Force, the Jedi, everything and anyone that would hear. _Not again, n_ _ot Padmé._ It had been several years since his mother's death and the day's events and his own actions still haunted him. _What do I do? I failed Mom before, I could have saved her if I had trusted my instincts and gone to save her sooner. What do I do? I need help, but who would help me, who can I even ask?_

His troubled thoughts ran in circles, his mood failing to improve as he considered scenario after scenario. He thoughts ground to a halt when he noticed that he was no longer alone. Still somehow cloaked within the Force, he hadn't sensed her until she had let him. He realized that he had been crying and hastily wiped the tears away before facing the red-haired woman whose sassy behavior from the night before had been replaced by solemnity and a sympathetic expression.

 _At least it's not pity, thank the Force._ Anakin wasn't sure he could handle pity from this woman, not at this moment.

"Something is troubling you greatly, Anakin, and it's more than your tears that is screaming the anguish and fear you are holding inside," she stated bluntly. Bluntly, but honestly and without any rancor. Her tone could have infuriated him, but her willingness to jump to the issue without dancing around helped settle his thoughts. And thankfully, her comment held none of the recriminations about his emotions that Obi-Wan, Yoda, or even worse, Mace Windu would typically have given him.

For that reason, he held his tongue in check.

**###**

_Pain!_

_Padmé's pain!_

_An injury or wound that ached. It ached and burned._

_A fading life._

_Screams of pain._

_Anakin heard Padmé screaming his name: a plea for him. He heard the pain in her voice. He saw the tears in her eyes. He felt the dimming of her light within the Force. Padmé! Agony flooded Anakin's awareness, followed by the fear and anguish that gripped Padmé._

_A man's voice telling her to hold on. Obi-Wan's voice!_

_Pain and grief. Terrible pain!_

**###**

"It was just a bad dream," Anakin said, the doubt and fear that laced his tone betrayed the words he spoke.

"Bad dreams don't cause tremors in the Force," Mara commented softly, "nor does the presence of the Dark Side linger in the air like a bad aftertaste. You're also as terrible of a liar as Farmboy."

Anakin looked at Mara sharply with a rising anger. "The Dark Side? What are you accusing me of, Mara?"

Mara's response was a roll of her eyes as she stepped into Anakin's space and jabbed a finger into his chest. "Calm yourself, _Jedi_. Did I say that you were a Darksider or that you were using the Dark Side? No." Mara stepped back and stared at Anakin with an unnerving intensity before she continued, "What I'm saying, Anakin, is that those nightmares of yours were influenced by the Dark Side."

Anakin's eyes widened, "What? That's not...what?"

"You may have killed Count Dooku, Fath-Anakin, but his master remains alive and hidden," Luke said as he joined the conversation.

Anakin eyed Luke, hearing the momentary slip on his name; he might have accepted the truth of Luke's identity as his son, but it was still more than a little weird to fully comprehend this mature man being his son. "You think someone is sending the visions to me? Or manipulating me somehow?"

"All things are possible through the Force," Luke stated with a small smile that hinted of past experiences.

"But why? Why would the Sith Lord do...that?" Anakin asked, confused.

Mara and Luke looked at each other in a way that implied a significant conversation or question was being posed. Anakin didn't like that look; it hinted of secrets, painful ones.

Mara pursed her lips and spoke to Luke through their bond. **[Well Farmboy, I guess we now know how Anakin began his path to the Dark Side. I think it's up to us to help guide him back down the brighter path.]**

 **[We don't know if this was actually _it._ Still, we might as well start here. Why don't you take this one, you're still the expert on all things 'His Wrinkledness']** Luke sent back, a smile on his lips as he thought of Han's less than tactful descriptions of Palpatine. The memory of his best friend almost sent him into grief once again, but seeing his father so lost helped him focus on the present.

"Count Dooku is dead, Anakin," Mara commented.

"Yes...I know…I killed him," Anakin replied blandly, his memories of executing Dooku still harsh in his mind.

"Anakin, the Sith Lord's _apprentice_ is dead. What do you imagine the Sith's next move would be?" Mara questioned, trying to lead Anakin to the desired conclusion.

"'Always two there are,'" He recited. "He would seek out a _new_ apprentice," Anakin stated, speaking slowly as he nodded to himself. Frustration leaked into his tone, "But what does that have to do with me?"

Luke spoke up once more, "A Sith Lord is sending you nightmares somehow. Or perhaps merely augmenting your own existing fears. Perhaps it is not even a directed effort. But I, too, felt the Dark Side last night. You are prone to premonitions, I take it?" Anakin's nod confirmed the question. "Premonitions are dangerous things, Anakin. They can lead you down a dark path if one doesn't understand the context or full path of the vision."

Anakin wanted to yell at Luke, but feeling Padmé's slumbering presence kept his volume low, but harsh. "Believe me, I know, Luke, I've had visions before, and I failed to take heed of them last time, and in consequence, my mother died."

Luke remembered what Leia had told him years ago when she had gone to Tatooine to recover a painting that had a hidden device with sensitive Alliance information embedded within it. She had discovered a diary by Shmi Skywalker and had met Kitster, the best friend of young Anakin Skywalker. Leia had discovered the 'ghost' that haunted the Sand People, and the scar in the Force that had been left by Anakin in the wake of Shmi's pain. "Tatooine," Luke spoke after a moment.

Anakin's face went white and his gaze darted everywhere, his eyes refusing to meet anyone else's. "Yes," he whispered.

"Always in motion is the future," Luke quoted. "I've had such visions before as well, Anakin, and they led to one of the darkest days in my life. I left to rescue my friends, my friends whose pain I felt and saw in my meditations. They did feel pain, Anakin, they were tortured, but they had already managed to rescue themselves by the time I came along. In the end, I lost my hand and it was I who ended up needing to be rescued."

Luke would never forget that day in Bespin, the revelations he had learned had cut far deeper than Darth Vader's lightsaber. A dark day, but one that also helped him realize that there was still a spark of Anakin left in Vader. A day that also helped him truly mature and see his way forward through the Force. _Such is the Will of the Force, all things happen in their own time and way_ , Luke mused.

Anakin thought about Luke's words carefully before he finally asked, "How _did_ you lose your hand?"

Mara's expression remained blank, though her words to Luke through their bond were dry. **[Telling him that Daddy did it would be a bad idea, Luke.]**

Luke shot a glare at Mara, **[Thanks Mara]**

"The vision was a trap, a lure for me to finish my training prematurely. My friends' pain was designed to bring me to them, and to the Sith Lord that held them prisoner. There, I faced him, and in our duel, lost my hand before I managed to make my own escape," Luke said softly, a grimace on his face as he recalled that moment where he fell from the gantry rather than join his newly discovered father.

"So the Sith are still around then? I suppose that has something to do with why you are here, then? Where was I exactly, shouldn't I have been with you?" Anakin asked, anxious despite the fact that the events wouldn't occur for at least two decades.

Luke looked like he wanted to laugh, "Don't worry Anakin, you were around."

Something in Luke's voice and flare of emotions made him want to ask more, but the noise of his communicator interrupted his train of thought.

**#**

Luke and Mara watched as Anakin held a conversation with someone as the two went to the edge of the veranda to look over the Coruscanti cityscape.

"I was never all that partial to Coruscant," Luke said after a few minutes, "But now I think I might have truly missed this sight."

Mara put an arm around his waist, "I grew up here...even under the Emperor, it didn't quite look like this. It always seemed so much darker, like he cast a pallor over it all." Mara continued to gaze out and looked at the elegant Jedi Temple in the distance. "What now, Luke?"

Luke followed her gaze and pursed his lips, "One thing at a time. Start with the Jedi Council, I suppose. Perhaps follow that with Mothma and the other Rebellion founders to gain civilian support? If the Jedi take action, it truly might look like treason. If that happens, legitimacy would be a nice thing to have." Luke's last words were posed as a question that was answered by a slow nod by Mara.

"Yes...we'll have to play it by ear, but that sounds like the beginning of a plan," Mara replied. She might have said more if Anakin hadn't rejoined them.

"Sorry about that, I actually received two messages. The Jedi Council wishes to meet with us this afternoon, for a more rigorous interrogation, no doubt," Anakin said with a small chuckle.

"That's perfectly fine...what was the other message?" Luke asked curiously.

"Oh, that was a friend of mine...the Chancellor actually, I'm guessing you might know him? He wanted to meet with me in a little bit," Anakin told them, pride at being the friend of the Chancellor of the Republic lacing his tone. "I should actually probably head to the Senate to see him...would you guys like to meet him?"

Luke felt his stomach drop as he contemplated facing a younger Palpatine still in his prime, "Ah, no, if you don't mind, I think I'd like to rest here for a while, still a bit sore." The words were true and Anakin looked oblivious to his initial reaction.

Mara looked at Luke with a long stare, **[Looking at your father now, and remembering him in my time as the Emperor's Hand...I feel pity more than anything else. Your father should have had a better life. He made terrible choices and suffered terrible consequences because of it...so much chaos just because he called the wrong person 'friend.']**

Anakin didn't seem to have noticed the pause and Mara's glance because his mood suddenly shifted, becoming alert and agitated. "Shavit, I never even really thought to ask. You mentioned that Dooku being dead meant the Sith Lord would be looking for a new apprentice...you believe he wishes _me_ to be that apprentice?"

"You are one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, Anakin, and you are well known to be one of the more temperamental ones. Add in the fact that you have a _pregnant wife_ and he has a lot of ammunition in his hands to control, manipulate, or coerce you," Luke said, his voice even.

Anakin looked like he wanted to argue and opened his mouth before closing it sharply. His brow furrowed and responded, "I've done things I'm not proud of...Tatooine," he nodded towards Luke and Mara, "and some other things...but to become the apprentice of the Sith…" He shook his head resolutely, "I can't see myself doing that. Padmé would-"

Anakin's face went white and his body almost seemed to sway. Mara reacted first and guided Anakin towards a nearby chair. "Anakin, what's wrong?"

" _Kriff_ me," Anakin breathed, arms trembling and voice shaky.

"Pardon me if I don't, kriff you," Mara responded dryly, earning a choked laugh from Luke and a surprised cough from Anakin. "What is it, Anakin?"

Anakin looked down at his hands, looked at Luke intently, and at Luke's right hand. "You said that a Sith Lord cut your hand off, Luke. When I asked you where I was and why I wasn't there to help you, you said that I was…" Anakin swallowed hard before he continued, "And now you're warning me that a Sith Lord may be trying to coerce me into becoming his apprentice, using my fear of Padmé's loss as a lever. You're from the future and you know all this."

Anakin looked at Luke right in the eye, his face was calm and his voice more composed. Even his emotions seemed a little more steady. "I turned...didn't I? I joined the Sith...and I'm the one who cut your hand off, wasn't I?"

Mara left this one in Luke's hands and was badly tempted to leave and give them privacy. This conversation would be hard. Even decades later, it was hard for Luke to talk about, and that was after redeeming Anakin and forgiving him, so she was surprised when Luke answer with a simple, "Yes."

"Oh...shavit," Anakin muttered before putting his head in his hands. "I turned...and I'm guessing that Padmé died?"

"I don't know, I have no memory of her, but it would be a safe assumption," Luke replied.

"So what do I...who is...what does this mean, Luke?" Anakin asked, his voice quiet and filled with anxiety.

"You change the game," Mara responded, "one of the things that can be used against you is your relationship with Padmé...not that I am condemning your marriage in any way," she added when a flush of anger colored his cheeks, "but the secrecy of it...secrets hurt people, Anakin, and keeping this one is hurting you and hurting Padmé even if neither of you realize it. You are not the only Jedi who got married, you know, there are others in situations like yours."

"Nejaa," Anakin murmured.

Luke started, "Halcyon, you knew Nejaa Halcyon, and that he was married?"

"I found out he was married," Anakin explained, "and I told him that I was too. He was a good friend, he died a little while back in a battle against some cult of Darksiders. How do you know of him?"

"Nejaa has a grandson, a good friend of mine actually, and one of the finest fighter pilots in the galaxy. Corran is his name, a good man," Luke said, smiling.

"I'm not surprised. Nejaa was a good man, makes sense that his grandson would be, too. I'm glad to hear that his descendant is a friend of my own. Feels right."

"Enough talking about Corellians, lest we invite them into our presence." Mara's voice was dry as she continued, "they already have large enough egos. As I was saying...you are not the only Jedi who married. Tell someone. There is a man who thinks of himself as your friend and brother. He is one who has stood with you when few others would. Tell _him_."

"Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked, considering the suggestion.

"Of course Obi-Wan, nerf-for-brains. He may be a straight-laced bore, but he values you more than a typical Jedi should value their apprentice. It is obvious he cares for you. He will help you, or at the very least, he will support you if things go badly with the Council," Mara stated. "He has always tried his best to help you, Anakin, perhaps even when he shouldn't."

"Obi-Wan…" Anakin murmured once again, "Padmé wanted to tell him about our relationship, too-"

"Just goes to show that the fairer sex truly is superior," Mara interjected with a sickeningly sweet voice.

Anakin rolled his eyes, "For a woman who is decades older than me...you are very convincing at acting _my_ age." Anakin huffed and Luke let out a snort that was quickly cut off by Mara's elbow jabbing his rib. "Anyway...you might be right. I'll tell Obi-Wan," Anakin stated with more surety and calm than he truly felt. Anakin stopped and considered the situation, "What else? And _who_ is the Sith Lord? You must know."

"Yes, but first, we need to talk to the Council. We tell them some of our story, and we tell them what needs to be immediately addressed. We have a great deal of foreknowledge and much of it deals with events that have little bearing on the Sith. Remember our wounds, Anakin, there are many dangers that our galaxy will come to face. There have been wars with the Sith in the past, there will likely be wars with the Sith in the future. No single Sith Lord would cause our travel here, but it was a major stepping stone, one which may have allowed all the other terrible events to fall into place. One thing at a time," Luke answered.

"One thing at a time," Mara echoed, "sounds like a plan. Our plans usually work out...right?"

Luke's answering glare did little to comfort Anakin.

* * *

On a planet far from Coruscant, a young Togrutan stared up at the night sky with furrowed brows. The Dathomirian who had been walking at her side gave her a raised eyebrow. The Togrutan's concentration persisted for several minutes before a smile appeared on her face. Turning to her companion, she finally spoke, "There has been a disturbance in the Force."

"I have felt it also," the other woman said.

"I believe SkyGuy has found himself in a mess."

"And of course, we are the ones who have to go rescue him?" The Dathomirian's voice was dry and did little to conceal her distaste at the idea.

"I may have left the Order, but I don't think I'll ever be able to truly leave him. I feel I should go."

"A freighter is scheduled to make a run to Coruscant tomorrow." Seeing the Togrutan's surprised look, the Dathomirian smiled. "Please, you and he were always predictable, as soon I figured out the source of the disturbance, I booked us passage."

The Togrutan smiled widely, "You're coming with me?"

"Someone has to keep you out of trouble while you keep Skywalker alive, and I would hate to have to find another partner. Our current bounty isn't worth much anyway."

"That might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me, Asajj. Come, let's start packing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Leia and Han did find the diary of Shmi Skywalker mentioned in this chapter in the book, Tatooine Ghost by Troy Denning. They both also meet Kitster Banai, the childhood best friend of one Anakin Skywalker.
> 
> I'm still struggling to get Anakin right. I'm trying to portray him as emotional and still within "acceptable limits" for Palpatine to try to turn. But I also don't want him to be overly whiny, angsty, or suddenly all boyscout "do the right thing" and such. He is an intense character who had an unusual childhood and has an incredible amount of power, and as such, his emotions will always be closer to the surface than with most Jedi.
> 
> I don't think I did the best job at portraying Luke's revelation of his familial status and Anakin and Padmé's reactions. I tried several different scenarios, but this one seemed the best. I don't think I really got the lines right.
> 
> As mentioned before, Luke and 'the gang' had been able to piece together the details of Anakin's fall fairly well by this time. Most of the unknowns were the ultimate motivation in that final night of the Republic as well as the full identity of Luke and Leia's mother. Learning of Anakin's nightmares was sort of a 'the pieces suddenly clicked together' in that the nightmares of Padmé's death was what helped drive him down the dark path.


	9. The Council

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Notes: Again, thanks for all the support and reviews. They have helped me focus on getting certain aspects of my story right that I may have overlooked initially.
> 
> I am happy to see the brief mention of Ahsoka and Ventress receive such a positive reaction. I've always loved the Star Wars: Clone Wars (and Rebels) cartoons and the characters in them were so much better than the movies. (Again, this is to be expected to an extent given time constraints in a movie, I make no judgments on the film producers/writers for it.) In case it wasn't already apparent, Ahsoka is currently partner to Ventress in her position as bounty hunter. Ahsoka left the Jedi Order at least 1 year after Ventress left Dooku's service, so I make the assumption that Ahsoka found or was found by Ventress soon after her departure. This means that Ventress and Ahsoka would have been working together for as long as a year. I think I am getting the timeline right on that, let me know if I erred.
> 
> At this point, I am no longer working on pre-written material, meaning my chapters might start coming in at a slower pace. I hope to avoid this, but life/work demands mean it may not be possible to continue posting at my previous intervals. I don't think it will be weeks between each chapter, but it may be closer to 7-10 days. We'll just have to see.

**(Luke):** " _How will I know the good side from the bad?"  
_ _ **(Yoda):**_ " _You will know, when you are calm. At peace, passive."_

**#**

Anakin and his two charges had left Padmé's apartment after he had returned from his earlier meeting with Palpatine. He had been excited after his meeting, and Luke couldn't help but dread the reason why. Whatever had him excited, it probably wasn't going to be good for Anakin in the long run. While Luke and Mara had spent some time in the Temple before, this was their first time going _into_ the Jedi Temple. They were now confronted by the intact and pristine Jedi Temple looming before them. Anakin walked impatiently alongside Luke and Mara, both of whom were staring all around them at the splendor of the Jedi Temple. Well, more Luke than Mara, but such was the nature of Luke to still feel such awe at things Mara considered fairly trivial. It _was_ impressive though, Mara had to admit, and felt a spike of anger at Palpatine for wanting to destroy it.

**[I've visited the remains of the Temple before, I've seen pictures and holovids, I've even been inside it, but I never imagined the Jedi Temple would be so…]** Words failed Luke as he took in the grandeur of it all, the blinding Light that emitted in the Force from the cradle of the Jedi Order.

**[Yes, Luke, it's very pretty. Now let's go tell the Jedi Council that their heads need to be removed from their collective behinds and wake up to the danger of becoming violently one with the Force in only a few days or weeks' time.]**

Luke rolled his eyes at Mara's humor and picked up his pace to accommodate Anakin, who looked like he wanted to drop behind them and push them to move faster.

Luke managed to have the last laugh at this particular exchange of repartee when he gave her rear a sharp pinch before moving quickly ahead. A large smile, the brightest one that had crossed his face since crossing into the past, appeared on his face as he heard Mara's squawk of outrage. He'd pay for it later, he had no doubt, but at that moment, it was worth it.

* * *

As walked the halls of the Temple, Luke noticed the Jedi archives for the first time and thought of Tionne whose life had been dedicated to restoring the knowledge that was so sparse in his time and so openly available here. He then saw a classroom of younglings being taught rudimentary meditation techniques and felt a grim reminder of all that was at stake, for them and for the young man who walked at his side.

Luke, to Anakin's great annoyance, found himself deviating from the others to enter the Room of a Thousand Fountains. It was still as beautiful and peaceful as he remembered from the previous days and he wanted to stop and immerse himself in it. The rising annoyance in Anakin and his wife disabused him of this notion, but he still lingered for as long as he could. Despite Anakin's growing impatience, the younger man humored him enough to allow him a brief sojourn before leading them to the Council once again.

The Council was still in discussion privately, so the three sat down to wait for their summons. Anakin had questions that he wanted to be answered before he spoke with the Council and spoke first.

"I have questions...perhaps now isn't the best time, but I'd really like the answers," he said, more calmly than he felt. His meeting with Palpatine earlier had been productive and could lead to a new position that recognized his efforts and accomplishments in the Jedi Order and the Republic. He looked forward to serving as his representative on the Council. He knew they wouldn't like it but Palpatine was the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, they _had_ to work together. _But I mustn't lose sight on the other events of the week and too much rides on the knowledge these two had for us._

"Then ask, though we may not answer all of them here or at this time," Mara cautioned.

"Your lightsaber. It _is_ mine, isn't it? And you said _child_ ren. You have a...twin then, I presume? Could you tell me more about him? And how is it that you weren't trained at the Temple, or that you haven't at least visited before? And you really tried to kill Luke, Mara, on a Sith Lord's orders?" Anakin had meant to be thoughtful, graceful, and tactful as he asked his questions, but Luke's revelation from the night before had him all mixed up. His conversation with Padmé afterwards had helped settle him, as her presence always did, but the questions still poured from his mouth, one after another.

Mara smirked at his tirade of questions which finally gave Anakin pause. He took a breath before giving a somewhat apologetic face. The smile that threatened to cross Mara's face at Anakin's stumbling questions failed to materialize when she noticed Luke's stiffening form and the lack of expression on his face.

"My sister," Luke said, a very blank expression on a face that had lost some of its color, "Leia."

Anakin looked at him and remembered that sinking sensation from last night and asked softly, "What happened?"

"Prior to ending up here, here at this time I mean, we were in a battle. She didn't make it. Leia became one with the Force only hours before you first laid eyes on me," Luke said, blinking rapidly and looking down at the ground.

Anakin wasn't quite sure what to say or how to react. _His child_ was dead, one of the _children_ that had yet to be born. _Is she even my child? Do I have that right to name myself her father?_ He wondered these things, but couldn't deny the pang of loss that ran through him. In the end, there was really only one thing he could say. "I...I'm sorry, Luke."

Luke only nodded, still looking down. Mara brushed his cheek with her palm before looking directly at Anakin. "As for your first question, yes, this was...or is...your lightsaber. Luke gave it to me many years ago, by my reckoning. The reason he's acting like a 'gee-all-of-this-is-so-wizard country hick' again is because in our time...this temple is nothing but ruins."

Anakin's face was the picture of shock and dismay, and neither Luke nor Mara had the heart to tell him exactly who was largely responsible for the Temple's fate at that moment. After giving Anakin a moment to digest this, Mara continued, "As for me and Luke, well...that Sith Lord...the one you... _served_ ," she added with a pointed look and a soft quiet voice, "he took me in as a child and trained me to be his assassin and spy."

She gave him a lopsided smile at his face of utter shock, "Yeah, he told me to ' _Kill Luke Skywalker_.' When I did finally meet this Outer Rim bumpkin...well Luke called it 'love at first death threat.' Although, as an interesting note, you should be aware that through a combination of insane Jedi Masters, blue-skinned red-eyed military geniuses, and clones, I _did_ end up killing Luke Skywalker!"

Luke's head did rise at that, and he laughed softly when he saw Anakin's gaping mouth. Anakin was still gaping when the Council Chamber's door opened, Obi-Wan waving them in with an arm. Thoughts of being Palpatine's representative had disappeared entirely as he led Luke and Mara in, desperately wanting to figure out the story behind _that_ remark.

**#**

Luke and Mara followed Anakin into the Jedi Council's chamber where they stood before those beings considered wisest and strongest of the Jedi Order. For his part, Anakin felt more nervous than ever, and not just because of Palpatine's request that he be his representative on the Council. Mostly it was the knowledge that he stood before the Council in the company of his _son,_ his son and his son's _wife_. Not for the first time, Anakin felt deep sympathy for Obi-Wan for having to deal with his shenanigans.

Luke and Mara had very different feelings about their presence here. Luke felt excited and was filled with an emotion that almost bordered on awe. The Council was able to pick up on that and found it a little odd that what appeared to be a fully trained Jedi, felt so deeply in that way. Mara, on the other hand, was the most neutral of the three. She had a great deal more knowledge of the Jedi Council at this time, even if that knowledge came from the Emperor and his incessant scathing commentary about the failures and defeat of the Jedi Council.

"Much to discuss, we have," Master Yoda stated in his usual calm manner. "A request from the Chancellor, we have," before he nodded towards Anakin.

Anakin didn't see Luke's wince or the sour look Mara shot towards Luke, but the Council took note of it. Anakin stepped into the middle of the chamber and calmed himself. "Yes, Master Yoda. The Chancellor requested my presence earlier today. With all of the trouble of the war and the contact miscommunications or sometimes altered set of priorities, Chancellor Palpatine has requested that he and the Republic be represented on the Jedi Council." Anakin paused and settled himself before he continued. "He has requested that _I_ be his representative."

Anakin stopped speaking and watched as the Jedi Masters deliberated with pointed glances and gestures or soft words.

Master Yoda relayed the Council's decision. "Allow this appointment lightly, the Council does not. Disturbing is this move by Chancellor Palpatine."

A feeling of pride gather in Anakin though he kept his reply to a bland, "I understand."

That feeling of pride disappeared quickly when Master Windu spoke next. "You are on the Council, but we do not grant you the rank of Master."

No small amount of anger bubbled up within Anakin, and even with the revelations of earlier, he had a hard time keeping his calm. He had time to harshly utter his disbelief with a single 'What!?' but was was saved from making any additional response when Mara groaned loudly, catching everyone's attention. Following that groan was a muttered string of Huttese from Luke that nearly made Anakin blush. If nothing else had supported Luke's claim, Anakin now truly had at least some convincing proof that Luke had at least grown up on Tatooine.

"Do you have something to add?" Ki-Adi-Mundi asked with a raised eyebrow, "and who exactly are you?"

"The other reason for our meeting, these two are. Introductions, Skywalker will make." Master Yoda indicated to Anakin that _he_ was the specific Skywalker who should be the one to introduce and explain the couple's presence.

_Lovely, this will be fun. I wonder exactly how disapproving of a frown Mace Windu can possibly give..._ he mused. "Masters, this," Anakin nodded towards the flame-haired woman who now stood slightly to his side, "is Mara Jade Skywalker. And with her, is her husband, Luke Skywalker."

Master Windu didn't frown as deeply as he had predicted, but Anakin felt pretty sure that, aside from Master Yoda and Obi-Wan who had already known, every single eyebrow on the Council had risen in unison at that revelation. After a moment of silence, Yoda repeated Master Mundi's question, "Something more to say, have you, Mara Jade Skywalker?"

"I assure you, Master Yoda, I-we have plenty to say," Mara said with a scowl that could have matched Mace Windu's. With gritted teeth, she continued, "All of you...all of this...is so obvious to me that I am having a hard time understanding your blindness. That this situation was specifically manufactured to engender the sort of reaction that Anakin just gave."

The entire Council at this point was giving Mara a confused look, who merely rolled her eyes. "You, Anakin, are about to throw a truly childish temper tantrum, and you oh-mighty Jedi Council, who are about to react precisely according to a script given to manipulate the entire Jedi Order."

There was a moment of silence where the Council gave her a combination of intrigued and irritated looks.

"Hello Mara, I am Master Shaak Ti, forgive us if we have yet to understand what you claim to have already understood. Perhaps if you started at the beginning, with context, our conversation could be more productive." The Togrutan Jedi Master spoke softly in a voice that helped calm the rising irritation of the others.

"A wise suggestion, Master Jedi," Mara replied. Luke's hand rested on hers then, diverting her attention.

**[Perhaps you should let me begin, Mara. One thing at a time, introductions first.]**

Squeezing his hand in response, she closed her mouth and waited to see what her husband had to say. It probably _was_ a good idea for him to speak; Luke held the calm demeanor expected of a Jedi and had the years of experience in diplomacy that he had gathered with his sister. Provoking the Jedi Council was _not_ part of the plan.

Luke stepped further into the room until he stood next to his father. "As Anakin said, my name is Luke Skywalker. If you felt a disturbance in the Force several days ago, it was my wife and I's presence that caused it."

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked.

Luke gave him a small smile before he spoke again, "My wife and I...well, we aren't from around here." He grimaced when he heard Mara snort from behind him and hurriedly continued. "I was taught that the future is always in motion, but in this instance, I can tell you definitively what will happen if things continue as they are."

"The source of your knowledge stems from the disturbance?" Shaak Ti asked.

"It would be more correct to say that the disturbance was caused by our arrival. Our foreknowledge does not come from guesses or visions, from premonitions or deductions. We have knowledge of this future because we are _from_ that future."

The exchange of significant glances was beginning to irritate Mara, but she kept her calm as the Jedi gave Luke the universal 'come again?' face.

"Come again?" Obi-Wan asked, eyebrows furrowed.

_Nailed it,_ Mara thought.

"Mara and I were sent from the future, approximately 48 years from now, presumably to stop some of the things that are coming, or to prepare you for them."

"You...were checked out by the healers, yes?" Mace Windu asked somewhat blandly.

"Would you like to know the identity of the Sith Lord that is currently at large?"

Luke's reply made the room go deadly quiet. Master Windu's jaw clenched and he glanced towards Yoda, who was leaning forward intently.

"Spent time with the two, you have _young_ Skywalker, believe them, do you?" he asked Anakin.

"It's a hard story to swallow, Master Yoda, but the Force itself acts...strange around them, moreso when we first encountered them, but even now I can feel the _otherness_ in their signatures," Anakin responded.

"Speak, Luke Skywalker, and listen, we will."

* * *

"No Senator, I'm afraid relinquishing the emergency powers granted to me by the Senate is quite out of the question for now. I hope for peace just as much as you, but even with Count Dooku slain, General Grievous remains alive."

"But surely-"

"I don't believe I have a choice, Senator, now if you'll excuse me, there are some matters that require my attention. I'm sure we'll speak again, soon."

"Of course, Chancellor, another time then."

Chancellor Palpatine watched the frustrated red-haired senator from Chandrila leave his office. She would be a problem to be dealt with later, she was bright and charismatic enough that she could pose a political threat to him, even if he succeeded in his more immediate plans. He had his guards stay outside of his office with instructions to hold anyone seeking an audience at bay.

He sat in the chair of his office, steepled his fingers, and opened his mind to the Force. The disturbance he had felt several days ago seemed to have diminished, but he still felt a fundamental shift in things. Anakin felt far too settled for his taste, apparently more would have to be done to unsettle the boy enough to seek him out. Everything felt just a little bit off, like all his plans that were just about to fit together perfectly had suddenly changed enough that nothing fit quite right anymore.

But what action could he take without knowing what had changed?

He donned a dark robe and drew up its hood before opening a secret communicator stashed in his office.

A coughing, hacking voice accompanied by a cybernetic face with yellow eyes peered at him. "Lord Sidious," General Grievous acknowledged respectfully.

"General Grievous, I want you to move your troops to the planet of Utapau and gather the other leaders of the Confederacy to you. If you are to continue as leader, they will have to fall into line. Be sure to communicate my displeasure to anyone who fails to obey your commands. You are to have them moved to the planet of Mustafar for their protection."

"They will not like the idea of hiding on Mustafar," Grievous half spoke, half coughed.

"They will like the consequences of disobedience even less, I assure you, General."

With a flick of the communication, the transmission ceased leaving him alone in the silent room. _How do I combat this disturbance? If something has changed the nature of my plans, then I will have to respond in kind._

With a sinister smile on his face, he picked up his communicator and prepared to make some calls.

* * *

"When I was 22 years old, my last Master died. When he died, he told me that I would be the last of the Jedi."

For such a relatively small statement, it carried a world of meaning. If possible knowledge of the Sith Lord hadn't made them pay attention, claiming to have been the last Jedi certainly did.

"Your Master must have-" began Ki-Adi-Mundi, but Luke cut him off.

"My last Master, was you, Master Yoda."

Another moment of silence.

"If the last of the Jedi, you were, then successful the Sith must have been," Yoda deduced.

"From what I know, it will only be days or weeks before the Republic falls, and the Jedi Order with it. It will be done almost overnight, and what few Jedi survive will be hunted down for many years to come."

Mara chose this moment to speak up again, and Anakin found it surprisingly disquieting that her customary smirk was nowhere to be found. "Everything that has happened in recent years, for many years, even decades, has all been guided by the Sith. A grand plan for domination, not just of the galaxy but of the Force. A successful near eradication of Jedi throughout the galaxy and the subsequent political oppression used to lever the Sith into an emperor."

"Not all Jedi are killed, of course, but only a bare handful survive. And perhaps fewer than a dozen ever leave their places of hiding," Luke adds, blunt honesty doing nothing to alleviate the horror of the picture that the future brings to mind.

Anakin spoke, "But how! How is this possible! The Republic stands to finally win this war against the Separatists." Even knowing _his_ fate in Luke's future world, Anakin still had trouble grasping how it all came to be. Several of the other Jedi on the Council were nodding their heads in mutual confusion.

"I said that _everything_ had been going according to the plan developed by the Sith," Mara said quietly. "In his position, Darth Sidious worked with his apprentice, Count Dooku, to use the civil war to maneuver their pawns around the galaxy. The same civil war which has forced the Jedi out of their normally tranquil existence and into the battlefield, isolated from each other and from the Order. In the last three years, how many Jedi have left the Order? How many have turned to the Dark Side? How has the public perception shifted regarding the Jedi? This war has not been about political differences. No, Master Jedi, this war is the same war that has been fought for thousands of years, between the Light and the Dark. The problem is, or will be, that you won't even recognize that fact until it is far too late. Count Dooku was merely the _known_ Dark presence that you would focus your efforts on, leaving the Master relatively unhindered."

More silence.

"Tell us everything," Master Windu finally said with a weary and somewhat helpless tone.

* * *

"Mistress Sing, I have a contract for you," Grievous spoke into the communicator in his usual hacking voice.

"Who's the mark?"

"Not a mark, Mistress Sing. Go to Coruscant, I wish for you to keep an eye on several individuals for me. Your surveillance may develop into something more violent, depending on how events shape up."

"Payment would be my standard contract fee with the CIS."

"Of course, Mistress Sing. There will be several Jedi who will be in close proximity to your targets, and at least one of them will be a priority individual for you to observe. Keep that in mind if things look to become violent."

"Understood, General."

"One last thing, I would like you to stop briefly on Duro. There is a colleague of yours who will be joining you."

"Bane?"

"Indeed."

"Very well, who should I make contact with upon my arrival?"

"I am sending you a code that will be scrambled in order to reach me to avoid any unwelcome listeners."

"Very well General Grievous, a pleasure as always."

"Likewise."

* * *

"Impossible."

"That is not possible, he is my friend-my mentor!"

"We would have sensed it."

"We know there is a Sith near the Senate, but it couldn't be _him!"_

Luke stood there as he watched the Jedi Council react to his naming of the Sith Lord. He had expected Anakin to take it the hardest, but he was somewhat taken aback by the arrogance of the other Jedi in their assumptions and declarations. He could feel more than see Mara's grimace, and he understood. Yoda had told him that he wasn't to be the last of the old Jedi, but the first of the _new_. His efforts to rebuild the Jedi had been shaky and had suffered many setbacks, had ultimately created an institution that had helped stave off the Yuuzhan Vong. Seeing this Council now, he understood why Yoda may have wanted to capitalize on the Order's destruction so that a better foundation could be laid for a new one.

Anakin _was_ the most upset, but he hadn't stormed off as he half-expected him to do. _Stang! He is so young_ _!_ It was odd for Luke to consider the younger man as his father rather than the other way around. The unrest in the Council persisted until a sharp tapping sound echoed around the chamber.

Master Yoda had stood, and was shaking his head. "A poor display this is. Come to us with information, they have. Not for us to argue with the telling, but to investigate the conclusions. They have named Chancellor Palpatine as a Sith Lord. If true, great danger we are in. The destruction of the Order, we face, if Luke Skywalker is correct. More to say, have you, Luke?"

"There is much left for us to say, but not all of it is ultimately relevant to Palpatine or the Sith. I would advise strongly against internalizing this problem. Contact Senators Organa of Alderaan, Mothma of Chandrila, and Amidala of Naboo. Speak to them, tell them of what you face. If Palpatine must be deposed, then a solution greater than a lightsaber will be required."

Anakin's face was set in an angry frown, but he nearly jumped when Padmé was mentioned. "Why must we involve the senators?" he asked.

"The senators are just as concerned as you regarding the state of the Republic. There are many, with the three I mentioned leading them, forming a party to oppose the Palpatine, to try and convince him to relinquish his emergency powers. They would be your natural allies, if you let them."

There was silence as the Council thought about what had been said. Anakin's face was still stony, but there was a somewhat sick look that had appeared, and he caught Luke's eye and motioned for them to speak privately. Sighing, Luke left Mara's side to speak with Anakin.

This was turning out to be a very _long_ day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: The pieces on the board are taking their place! I'm hoping that the story will be getting progressively faster and action-oriented. We haven't really seen much of Anakin's reaction yet, but there will be a reaction. Just because his fate has been revealed, in part, doesn't mean he's sweetness and light now.


	10. Politics

_"Trust me, my capacity for mayhem is undiminished."  
_ _-_ _Mara Jade Skywalker_

**#**

"Invited, the Senators have been. Arrive within the hour, they will," Yoda's pronouncement after the recess left those present in the chambers at ill-ease. Knowing exactly how close the Sith Lord was had greatly shaken their usual sense of serenity, and their lack of surety on how to proceed left the Jedi further unhinged. Still, they were Masters on the Jedi Council for a reason and they were able to shake off the uncertainty and gather their thoughts for discussion after only a brief time.

 _And a sense of serenity and surety are two things that Anakin is most certainly lacking_ , Mara thought, sighing. It was hard seeing the man who would be Vader as a young, troubled, man. As a more experienced, mature Jedi from the future, she supposed she ought to have some sage advice for Anakin, so when Luke had left to speak with Anakin privately, Mara had held him back. "I'll talk with him, Farm Boy, he needs a bit of a firm hand, I think."

Luke looked like he wanted to argue but ultimately acquiesced at his wife's pointed look. Jedi Master he may be, but Luke knew that sometimes a former Emperor's Hand was needed.

Looking back later, she knew that she had helped Anakin, but she figured he'd still be a nervous wreck until Padmé had given birth and was still breathing.

**###**

_Anakin had been taken aback when his..._ Daughter-in-Law _...held Luke back and gestured for him to speak with her instead. Somewhat reluctantly, he met with her outside of the Council chambers while a short recess was called._ Daughter-in-Law _, he thought, shuddering,_ my son is indeed a brave man _. Remembering the reasons he had wanted to speak with Luke in the first place, he was hard-pressed to squelch the spike in his anxiety._

_"Why did Luke include Padmé?!" he whispered harshly. To his irritation, she merely rolled her eyes._

_"Listen up, Skywalker...Anakin," she ordered, somewhat irritated that 'Skywalker' now applied to more than one blonde Jedi Tatootine native in the galaxy. "Your wife is a wonderful person, yes? A wonderful politician, yes? Those two traits, Anakin, aren't as common as you'd think!"_

_"But in her condition-" Anakin yelped as he was interrupted by Mara flicking his nose._

_"Anakin! She is pregnant, not in imminent danger of exploding like a thermal detonator. This is what she works for-what she lives for! She would not hold you back, Anakin, don't you_ dare _try to hold_ her _back."_

_He wanted to argue, he wanted to rage at her, the words were caught in his throat and they just couldn't escape to make themselves heard. He looked past her briefly to see Luke speaking with Obi-Wan._

_Luke_.

His son.

 _The older man did have physical resemblances to both Padmé and him, but seeing Luke smile as he and Obi-Wan shared some anecdote took decades off his face and made it all that easier to see the similarities._ This is all for Luke _, he thought heavily,_ for Luke and his absent sister.

_Mara had remained silent during this moment of introspection and when he caught her eye again, she nodded, satisfied with whatever she saw there. Clapping him on the shoulder hard enough to make him wince, she led him back into the chambers._

**###**

It wasn't long before a young padawan admitted the three senators into the Council chambers. Luke had seen holos of his sister's adopted father but he was still somewhat awed at the sight of the man. The dark-skinned man seemed to exude kindness, nobility, and the durasteel backbone which would help him bear the burden of helping establish the Rebellion as well as raise the offspring of the creature he knew had once been Anakin Skywalker with such love.

 _It was no wonder,_ he thought, _that Leia loved him so._

And there was Mothma. Mon Mothma, Senator of Chandrila. She seemed to be exactly the same as she had been decades from now, filled with the same traits that made Bail Organa such a strong leader. Luke had had the pleasure of knowing Mothma and had always looked up to her. It was odd seeing her so young, but even now that _he_ was the older one, he still felt that same inclination to follow her. As a leader, there were very few who were remotely as capable as she and Luke remembered the days when she had steered the galaxy with that gentle yet resolved way that was distinctly hers.

And then there was his mother. Padmé. Still beautiful, pregnant, and so in love.

"Senators, thank you for joining us," Obi-Wan welcomed them politely, interrupting Luke's reverie.

"It is rare that we are called to meet here in the Temple, Master Jedi, we were eager to satisfy our curiosity on the reasons for our invitation," Senator Mon Mothma said in her customary regal tones.

 _Stars, I've missed that voice. I wonder what Mon would think if she knew that_ she _would be the future leader of a_ New _Republic,_ Luke pondered. _Horrified, no doubt._

"Right you are, Senator. A grave mistake I fear it was," Yoda said as his ears dipped low.

Luke saw Padmé glance at Anakin with a questioning look, but Anakin seemed unaware as he studied the floor. Luke felt guilt radiate from him, possibly for the events to come or for Padmé's presense here, Luke was unsure but his study of Anakin was interrupted when Padmé spoke.

"What do you mean, Master Yoda?"

Bail Organa and Mon Mothma glanced at each other before turning curious eyes towards the diminutive Jedi Master.

"A terrible truth, we have learned," Yoda said slowly.

"A conspiracy, one that threatens the Republic, the Jedi, and everything that you and we stand for," Mace Windu added somberly.

"Since before the beginning of the war, during the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo almost ten years ago, we were made aware that a Sith Lord was at-large," Obi-Wan paused as a look of pain appeared on his face for a moment. "We know now that both Darth Maul as well as Dooku were apprentices to this Sith Lord, but we have been unable to discern anything more about the Master."

"We now know the identity of the Master, known as Darth Sidious," Windu finished.

All three Senators were now focused entirely on the Council arrayed before them.

"The Chancellor, a Sith Lord is," Yoda stated, eyes closing and head dropping. "Arrogant we were, not to have sensed his presence."

"The Chancellor!?" Senator Organa exclaimed. "I have grown leery of the man and have been troubled by his accumulation of power...but a _Sith_?"

"If the Chancellor _is_ a Sith Lord, what would that ultimately mean for the Republic, for the Jedi?" Mothma added on the heels of Bail's question.

"That he is no supporter of democracy can be safely assumed," Obi-Wan said, "the way of the Dark Side does not include sharing power, instead he would be gathering it for himself. The Jedi will be the most important obstacle for him to remove for he will have no ultimate success as long as we still exist to challenge him."

"But how?" Padmé asked. "How could it be _him_? How could he even hope to destroy the Jedi?"

At that, the Jedi Council, almost in unison, turned towards Luke and Mara. This, of course, prompted the attention of the three senators.

"Senators, I am pleased to meet you," Luke said into the sudden quiet. "My name is Luke Skywalker."

"And I am Mara Jade Skywalker," Mara said, but couldn't help but to stir the pot a little by adding, "his wife."

Obi-Wan and Anakin both rolled their eyes as the three senators stared at Luke and his flame-haired self-proclaimed wife with consternation. Their focus began alternating between the two older Skywalkers before eventually including the younger Skywalker as well.

"Order 66," Mara declared, refocusing the attention of the occupants of the Council chambers. "Order 66. It will spell the end of the Jedi and of the Republic."

"How do you know?" Padmé interjected, "And what _is_ Order 66?"

"Order 66 is an order embedded within the clone units of the Grand Army of the Republic." Dead silence and a sickening sense of dread pervaded the room after Mara's revelation. "The order itself is a command that all Jedi are to be considered traitors to the Republic. Every Jedi. Every man, woman, or youngling who belongs to the Order are to be killed on sight. Clone units on Coruscant would be charged with assaulting the Temple itself, with orders to leave none inside alive."

Silence.

Mara saw Anakin flinch at the mention of killing younglings and knew that he was imagining himself doing just that, either in the past on Tatooine or in the future Mara spoke of.

Everyone else just stared at Mara.

"But...the clones?!" Padmé exclaimed. "Embedded how?"

"Biological programming, or perhaps a control device implanted inside them. There were some clones who _didn't_ turn against the Jedi, but they were far and few between," Luke answered.

" _Fives!"_ Luke heard Master Shaak Ti murmur to herself, just loudly enough for him to hear.

"You speak as if you were there, Luke and Mara," Mon Mothma asked curiously.

Luke winced. He had no intention of explaining the dynamics of traveling through time with the aid of the Force to a group of politicians, no matter how much he respected them. He had forgotten just how sharp Mon was and he scrambled to come up with a relatively truthful answer but he was saved when Mara spoke for him.

"We were there, Senators, from a certain point of view, that is. The Force can reveal many truths to those open to hear them." It was about as generic of an answer that a Jedi could give, but it was enough to satisfy Mon, though her curiosity obviously remained undiminished.

"What is it that you would have of us, Master Yoda?" Senator Organa asked.

* * *

"Bane...Sing...what do you have to report?" Grievous said before coughing harshly.

"The senator you requested I observe went to the Jedi Temple today, along with Senators Organa and Mothma. They've been there for hours now. I was close enough to hear that they weren't aware of why they had been invited, but I was unable to attach any listening device to them. They are _not_ unguarded and they were far too close to the Temple for my comfort," Aurra Sing reported.

"That's about the same on my part. Both Skywalker and Kenobi have also been sequestered in the Temple," Cad Bane added as he adjusted his distinctive hat, "Although I did see Anakin travel with two other Jedi to the Temple from Senator Amidala's apartment. The other two Jedi were an older man and woman and were unknown to me."

"Good...did you get captures of them?"

"Yes, General, I'll send them to you now."

"Very good. After this, you will be in contact with another. Expect a communique from him soon. His name is Lord Sidious and it would be _very_ wise to treat him with respect," Grievous said.

"We will await his communication then and continue our observation in the meantime. Who is this 'Lord Sidious,' General?" Aurrua Sing asked.

"Someone important," General Grievous chucked before breaking into another coughing fit, "Someone with great plans for the Republic."

* * *

"Well, Coruscant hasn't changed," Ahsoka said dryly as they navigated their way through the urban sprawl and crowded airways.

The Dathomirian at her side gave her a side glance but otherwise ignored the Togrutan's observation. After a few minutes of quiet as they journeyed to their temporary housing, Asajj asked, "So what exactly is the plan here, Tano?"

Ahsoka considered the question before she said, "we will meditate and follow the Will of the Force, Ventress."

"Meaning you have no idea."

"Meaning I have no idea."

Asajj chuckled, "No, things haven't changed one bit."

Ahsoka scowled.

* * *

The news of those particular senators remaining ensconced within the Jedi Temple did little to comfort Chancellor Palpatine. While he was satisfied that his plans remained intact and were proceeding as he had foreseen, the disturbance in the Force that had occurred recently along with the rare invitation for a group of senators to enter the Jedi Temple for a meeting didn't suit him. And for two unknown Jedi to be accompanying young Skywalker _from_ his dear wife's apartments? No, this did not suit him one bit.

That Senator Amidala had been one of the three senators to journey to the Temple was perhaps something he could use. Possibly, the two Jedi had discovered Anakin and his idealistic fool of a wife and had reported them. That seemed unlikely with the presence of the other two senators, but such a situation would prove ideal for turning the boy.

 _'Two unknown Jedi accompanied Anakin Skywalker from Senator Amidala's apartment to the Jedi Temple,'_ had been what General Grievous reported to him. The images of the unknown Jedi had shown an older man and woman unfamiliar to him and he made it a point to be familiar with the Jedi that might be near Skywalker. _They will have to be investigated_ , Palpatine thought, _two unknown Jedi who may be aware of Anakin Skywalker's marriage are too much of a wildcard to remain ignorant about._

Steepling his fingers, Palpatine smiled as he considered the Coruscanti skyline. _All this will be mine soon, and the Jedi will be no more._

For now, he would remain patient. He needed more information and until whatever deliberations were taking place in the Temple ended, he would have to remain reluctantly ignorant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Short chapter this time, sorry! I thought adding anything more wouldn't do much for the story and I want to move on to where the fun begins.
> 
> Random Thoughts: I don't know about you guys, but it's driving me nuts that people are posting stories featuring Ahsoka and listing Lumiya as the character. Come on Star Wars nerds, you ought to know that it was Shira Brie who became that particular gem of wonderfulness.
> 
> There's a Star Wars fanfic that I can't remember the title of, but it featured the sandworms of Dune on Tatooine, I don't remember much about that story, but I want to give a shout out because I really loved that idea. Let' face it, we've all wanted to drive a sandworm across the desert.
> 
> Again, thanks for the feedback you've given me! Don't hesitate to let me know what you think is good/bad.


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